Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil opened the door to the troika but it was smart enough not to close it on the way out. Fianna Fáil could have kept the door open for eventualities such as this one to allow it to abolish the water charges. Terribly, the Labour Party followed through and bolted the door behind itself by signing off on the European Water Framework Directive. It did this in the knowledge that the people had said that they did not want water charges.

Farcically, establishment politicians and parties are playing a game and setting up a commission. Opposition Deputies are right to point out to the Government that it is setting up a commission that we cannot change or into which we, as elected representatives, cannot make an input. We do not know who made the decisions about who will be members of the commission. A number of us have made proposals to broaden its terms of reference. I received a letter from the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in response and I thank him for acknowledging my proposal. I wanted to broaden the terms of reference to cover the social implications of funding water services in the short, medium and long terms, including water poverty for low-income families, and possible future privatisation; the protection of public ownership of water, including its management and delivery; and the effect of borrowing to fund water infrastructure. For example, Detroit in the USA was under significant pressure to repay its loans. People were cut off from water, leading to water poverty and all that goes with it. The human right to water, even at a low level of payment, is not being delivered to those people.

I wanted the commission to consider how to increase water conservation through green technologies and to examine reports in Scotland, England, Bolivia and Germany on servicing water infrastructure and supply. I also wanted the commission's membership to involve people with expertise in consumer rights, consumer interests and anti-poverty advocacy.

The Minister has closed us down regarding the Bill and has not reverted to us in any shape or form on whether he is considering including any of our proposals in the terms of reference, broadening them out or doing whatever is necessary. Sinn Féin's Deputy Ó Broin proposed similar terms of reference to the Minister.

People see that the water charges are dead but not buried whereas the establishment believes that a bit of sugar will soften people up to the idea of paying some form of water charge. The real lesson that people have learned was highlighted by the privatisation of waste collection. People know that water charges will lead to privatisation. They know that once a commodity is made out of a service, the European Commission can insist on its privatisation and its opening to competition in line with EU regulations. We are not fools. The people who went out on the streets are not fools. The people who will walk the streets on 17 September are not fools. They will be out in large numbers to let the minority Government and Fianna Fáil know that this is not acceptable. We should forget about water charges and set them aside. The Government will not get them. People will resist them time and again.

We will have an election soon. We do not know whether it will be in nine, 18 or 26 months but Government Deputies will be back out on the doorsteps to face the electorate again. People know that at least three of the commission's members support water charges. I advise Deputies to think hard about what is happening and to abolish water charges.

The Government points out that producing clean water for our taps must be paid for, which is important. We all know that it costs money. For the past ten or 15 years, however, green technologies that only provide clean water for what we drink were not included in our planning laws despite the possibility of this directive being implemented. Why are we flushing clean water down toilets or into our washing machines and out into the system? If the Government was serious, it would introduce grants to effect this change in water usage. We would not be discussing this problem because the amount of water being used at our taps would be nearly 80% less. We should be installing long-term infrastructure in our homes and communities so as to ensure that costly clean water only goes where it is meant to instead of down our toilets. Until people see initiatives like that, they will not be fooled.

See this speech in context