Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The anti-water charges movement has won a victory over the charges and the political establishment that backed the charges. The victory has been won by hundreds of thousands of people who marched as well as by the 1 million households who refused to pay either in full or in part. It has been won by the masses of people who voted against the charges and for change in the general election of 2016. However, the victory has been sold short by the U-turn executed by the Fianna Fáil Party when it came around to the Fine Gael position at the water committee last night.

People power has won the following gains. First, 90% of households will not pay charges for water next year. Second, households that have paid, many of which paid under duress, will be compensated in full. Third, a referendum to keep water in public ownership will be held. We will ensure it will be held. We will keep the pressure on. Fourth, there will be an increased subsidy for group water schemes in order that the participants need not pay more than their urban counterparts.

None of these gains would have been conceded without the actions of the anti-water charges movement and its hundreds of thousands of followers nationwide. People were sold short last night by Fianna Fáil. The Fianna Fáil Party signed up to a plan to meter all new houses and apartments. This plan will delight those who want to introduce water charges down the road. Those in Fianna Fáil have signed up to support a crazy situation whereby half the country has meters, the other half has none and new-build dwellings will now be metered. Where is the equity in that? I have no doubt that resistance to the Irish Water metering programme will continue.

The Fianna Fáil Party supported the excessive use charge. In doing so it has built a back door for the return of charges down the road. Everyone knows that an excessive use charge threshold means 10% can continue to be charged today. However, the threshold can be lowered and lowered again such that 20%, 30%, 40% or a majority can be charged in future. Fianna Fáil Members may well get this through the Dáil with their allies in Fine Gael but they will not get it through in society. If they attempt to go down that road, people will be back on the streets in vast numbers.

The Government has set the excessive use rate at a relatively low level. It is 588 litres of water per day per household. That is 133 litres by 1.7 times the average household use by 2.6.

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