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

No problem; apology accepted.

The legislation allows the Dáil in five years' time to lower the threshold and bring more and more people into the loop as time passes. That shows the true intent of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with this legislation. They have had to accept defeat through gritted teeth because the people power movement forced it upon them. However, before they let this issue go, they are keen and determined to leave the back door open for the return of water charges in the future. That is why we issue a warning to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The people power movement has beaten them once and will beat them again if they attempt to use this opening to drive through water charges again down the road.

Previous speakers made reference to the attempt being made by the Government to wriggle out of the commitment to organise a referendum on the keeping of water services in public ownership. The House has passed a motion which indicates clear support for going down that road. However, in mealy-mouthed fashion, Government spokespersons are now saying that with the changes being introduced in the Bill, abolishing water charges as we knew them, scrapping the arrears, organising refunds and so on, a referendum on keeping water public services in public ownership is not as important as it once was; therefore, it is not a priority for which the Government intends to legislate. Who are they codding? The aim of a referendum to keep water services in public ownership would be to strike a blow against water charges and the privatisation agenda. The Government's attempt to escape from that commitment is an attempt to keep that agenda alive. Ask those who marched to defeat water charges, who refused to pay their water charges or who voted for change on this issue in the last general election and they will tell us, quite clearly, that they, with their friends, neighbours and families, support the holding of a referendum to keep water services in public ownership. It is a real indication of the intent, in the medium to long term, of the two parties to try to wriggle out of their commitment on water charges at this stage.

Previous speakers also referred to the issue of leaks in the water network. Incredibly, reports indicate that up to 50% of treated water in the State is wasted; it leaks back into the ground. The leaks are not mainly on the household side of the boundary wall or stopcock; they are on the street and the responsibility of the local authorities and the State. The greatest waster of water in the State is the State.

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Instead of wasting hundreds of millions of euro on metering the homes of ordinary householders in order to facilitate an agenda of water charges and privatisation, every red cent of the money should have been invested instead in improving the network and stopping leaks for the fixing of which the local authorities and the State are responsible. We are not saying it is a pity that was not done, rather we are saying it should be done now. An investment of €600 million a year in water infrastructure is not enough; we need an investment of €1 billion a year. That is crucial. The infrastructure should be funded, not through further crippling taxes on the PAYE sector, working people and the middle class, but rather by those who can afford to pay: the corporations the super-profits of which in the State are sky-rocketing and the upper echelons in terms of income, that is, those earning more than €100,000 a year per person as opposed to per household.

The water charges campaign has demonstrated people power and the power of protest. I hope it is an example that will inspire and encourage others to take a similar stand. I hope everyone in the country who is outraged by Government policy and the lack of action in dealing with housing and homelessness will take inspiration from this campaign and understand people power can also force a shift on this issue. I hope every worker who has had little or no pay increase for the guts of the past ten years and is forced to hear about economic recovery every day on the radio, every night on the television and every time he or she opens a newspaper will now insist that their family need a share of it. They cannot afford to pay their rent; they need pay increases and a recovery for working people. They can fight and win. They can look at the water charges movement and draw inspiration from it. It is a powerful example and it was a pleasure to have been involved in it.

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