Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Do I have the same latitude as others to diverge from it?

Concerns have been expressed by people on the possible privatisation of Irish Water. I have had concerns and people I have met out and about and at my clinics have expressed concerns. My party colleagues have expressed concerns. We have sought to have those concerns addressed. One way of addressing those concerns - perhaps the obvious way - would have been to have a referendum. Anyway, the Minister has brought creative proposals before the House to deal with the matter in a different way. His proposals are sound and I believe they achieve the objective he has set as well as what we have asked him to do. I compliment the Minister on his response to suggestions from the Opposition in respect of the concerns they had about his original proposal. I am confident about the future of Irish Water.

I wish to touch briefly on the matter of the right to water and water as a human right. This is often discussed in the context of United Nations Development Programme. The UN has developed several aspects to the concept of water as a human right. One element is that water should be sufficient and continuous. We are going to see this element of the right delivered. Another element is that it should be safe. Under the legislation to set up Irish Water, one of the key objectives is to ensure we have safe water. The setting up of Irish Water will address the issues relating to boil water notices throughout the country. Another element of the right to water is that it should be acceptable in terms of colour, odour and taste. A key objective of Irish Water will be to deliver on that aspect of the right to water. The fourth of five aspects of the right to water is that it should be physically accessible in respect of proximity to houses, buildings or whatever. This aspect of the right to water is being delivered too in the context of the setting up of Irish Water. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for his forbearance. The final element of the right to water to which the United Nations has specifically referred is that it should be affordable. According to the United Nations, the test of affordability is that its cost should be less than 3% of household income. In the context of this element and the other elements of the right to water, this legislation passes the affordability test.

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