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

We should be extremely proud of what has been achieved so far by the Right2Water movement. The collection of the PPS numbers by Irish Water as an asset to be sold when it was privatised was stopped in its tracks. Water charges intended as €800 to €1,000 per household per year has been abolished. There has been no attempt to force water meters on working-class communities who do not want them. The anti-water charges campaign has achieved an increased allowance for those on group schemes to match the urban dwellers in this country.

For the past week or so, we have been treated to an incredible farce over a row about something that does not exist, that is, the excessive use of water. Even within the 8% that the Minister talks about, he does not know whether there is excessive or wilful waste of water because we do not know if it is from the pipes or from the actual household. It could be a lot less than 8% and I suspect that it is.

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