Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly raise the issue the Deputy has articulated with the Minister of State, Deputy Burke. I recall that when the issue of group water schemes being taken in charge was discussed in a previous Dáil, a lot of the issues raised by the Deputy I also raised as a Deputy on the Government side.

It is a pity that the Deputy's party was not as supportive of group water schemes when the abolition of water charges was raised. As she knows, people in group water schemes pay for water. When people were paying for water, this was an issue I raised, namely that if everybody paid something people on group water schemes would have to pay a lot less. Unfortunately, people on group water schemes and those who use wells have to pay for what the Deputy and I get for free because they have to do what the Deputy and I get for nothing. That could be different if we and everybody else had to pay a small bit.

People in west and north Mayo had to bring water to their areas because nobody else was going to do for them. Mayo County Council and the State would not have developed water schemes. These communities had to do that work themselves because nobody was going to do it for them. Well sinkers had to do that work. They have been left with a legacy because they had to do the work themselves. This was the very issue I raised when we were debating water charges. I am glad the Deputy raised this issue because there is no such thing as free water, and I am glad she accepts the fact that there is no such thing as free water. I am glad that a speaker from Sinn Féin has accepted the fact that there is no such thing as free water.

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