Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

With Irish Water we are establishing a major piece of national infrastructure. In terms of comparisons and analogies the best example is probably the establishment of the ESB in the early years of this State. As in the case of water provision now, at that time we had a multiplicity of small suppliers and local generating plants serving particular towns and districts. This situation severely inhibited the country's industrial and commercial life.

The establishment of the ESB replaced these small localised electricity suppliers with a single nationally based entity.

This was transformative. The establishment of the ESB transformed the country's economic and commercial fortunes, as well as its domestic life. Yes, there was a cost but instead of concentrating on it, the people saw the value of it. Like with the establishment of the ESB in the past, the Minister today is proposing a major new piece of national infrastructure. Just as in the time of the establishment of the ESB, the Minister has his critics. Yes, there are criticisms but no alternatives, however. Yes, the new scheme will be costly but the alternatives will be more costly for this country in the long run.

Alongside the benefits to the country’s economic and domestic life, we must factor in the benefits for our national environment, our beaches and our rivers. As many as 40 large rivers are reckoned to be spilling raw sewage into the open seas and along our beaches. This aspect of untreated water does not receive sufficient attention. Its cost to our tourism industry has not yet been calculated.

I commend the Minister for his work in establishing this much-needed national infrastructure. Analogies with the establishment of the ESB, which has been a resounding success, are very fitting and appropriate.

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