Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I suspect young people interested in politics hope to get from political representatives clarity and clear principles on important issues. I suggest to the Minister that when it comes to this so-called expert commission on water, what we are getting from this Government and Fianna Fáil is a monumental political fudge designed to save the blushes of Fine Gael and most particularly Fianna Fáil and leave the door open for the future reintroduction of water charges on the basis of this so-called excessive water charge. For the past two years, in unprecedented numbers, the people of this country, who have been assaulted with austerity and injustice, have taken to the streets and said they do not want household water charges - full stop. The one useful aspect of the commission's report is the confirmation of something we and the people on the streets have been saying, that Ireland does not have a problem of excessive household usage. In fact, we use 20% less water per household than Britain does, which has had charges and meters for many years. There is, therefore, no excuse or justification on the basis of water conservation for water charges. Irish people are conscientious in their use of household water. It is agriculture and industry that use the vast bulk of water, not households.

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