Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Those people did not mind paying for it and were glad to get it. I salute the pioneers of the group schemes who went out and championed their own water, sought funding and paid to bring water services to their houses. They were very glad of it.

There is a big debate about what the European Commission has said and that the Exchequer funds having to pay for it, which is what Deputy Alan Kelly ensured. What about the private people? Every hairdresser, every shop, every victualler, every church and everywhere else with a water connection, including private homes, are all paying for water. Private businesses of every sort are paying for water. Are they going to be left to carry the can?

We want to support jobs. Someone is going to have to pay the bills to break even on the cost of upgrading our many schemes. Is it the farmers and ordinary small business people who will be crucified? Do they matter at all? Should they just pay the rates, pay for everything, shut up and carry the can for somebody who does not want to pay for anything? We have to have some reality here. There is talk about the 90 Members elected here because of water, but it was not really an issue in my election campaign in Tipperary. When I attended some of the protests, I was hunted from them by members of certain parties who are here talking about it now.

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