Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The end of water charges for 92% of Irish people, as recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, is proof that debate, discussion and dialogue is much more beneficial to the interests of the people Deputies seek to serve than political posturing. The Fine Gael-Labour Party water charges regime failed and cost the State money - €22 million in 2015. The legislation was rushed through Government and the Dáil on the basis of claims which were systematically dismantled during the committee's work.

We heard the point about the Government Chief Whip twice tonight and I will not repeat it. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, labelled Water charges a dead cat. The list goes on. The Minster, Deputy Simon Coveney, stated that it was a rushed, a badly planned and an appallingly implemented policy, and there no disagreement there.

I was delighted to hear Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett state that we had abolished water charges. The Deputy is not here at present but that is what he stated.

To clear up a bit of fake news we heard earlier, it was Fine Gael which proposed, in its NewERA document in 2009, produced a year before the troika came to town, that it would set up a new semi-State company called Irish Water. I remember the weekend when a lot of messages were tweeted and put up on Facebook. I watched with interest Deputy Mary Lou McDonald state she would pay water charges but perhaps it was when Deputy Paul Murphy won the by-election that all that changed. We all can talk about fake news. We all can score points.

Thanks to the work of Fianna Fáil this regime has now been abolished. In its general election manifesto, Fianna Fáil promised to abolish Irish Water and end water charges. We agreed to compromise on this in order to ensure the country had a stable Government.

The report has recommended that the failed water charging regime put forward by Fine Gael, and let us not forget the Labour Party, is now over. The vast majority of households will no longer face water charges but those who wilfully and excessively abuse water will be fined.

Many on the hard left of Irish politics have sought to claim that the report fails to deliver what Fianna Fáil sought. The following questions should be asked of them and if anybody would like to answer them, I have no problem. Have charges been eliminated for the vast majority of households? Will regular bills for water stop coming through people's letter boxes? Are we tackling those who abuse the system? Have we put in place a system that ensures Ireland meets its European obligations?

10 o’clock

The answer is a clear yes and a clear vindication of Fianna Fáil's position before, during and after the 2016 general election. We did not win the election last year, but we decided to be constructive and use our mandate for the maximum benefit of voters. As part of the agreement we reached to facilitate the establishment of a Government, we set in train the events that led to yesterday's report. Those who sat on the sidelines and did nothing should not complain about those who worked with others to deliver on our manifesto commitments. Too many politicians talk a good game, but when push comes to shove, those on the hard left are too comfortable in hurling abuse from the ditch rather than getting stuck in. I am not afraid to get stuck in and do what is needed to achieve results.

I will be absolutely clear. I believe ensuring at least 92% of households will not be charged for water, making sure the small minority who abuse the system are addressed and securing a referendum on the public ownership of Irish Water is a good result. Yesterday we secured in writing the deal originally agreed to two weeks ago before the Fine Gael leadership race intervened. The deal was praised by Deputy Eoin Ó Broin on "Morning Ireland" on Thursday, 31 March, and the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, on 30 March; we believe, therefore, that all parties should be well satisfied with it.

The report recommends the following key points. Existing charges will be abolished. I am sorry that Deputy Mick Barry has left the Chamber because I wish to be quite clear: the definition of "excessive use" is 1.7 multiplied by 133 l per person per day for a household of 2.6. Water services will be funded by the Exchequer. Households that have paid their bills will be refunded. There will be no future metering programme for existing homes. A sum of €465 million has been spent on metering, with 58% of houses metered. As a party, we cannot stand over a further spend of between €300 million and €400 million. Finalising the State's position on water charges, as we have done, allows us all to focus on the other pertinent issues challenging the country, namely, housing, schools, health care and protecting ourselves from the risks associated with Brexit. The process from now is absolutely clear. It is the obligation of the Government to draft the changes quickly for inclusion in legislation to finally put behind it years of an arrogant, badly devised mish-mash of a water policy.

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