Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Ó Broin has outlined, my party will not be opposing the separation of Irish Water or Uisce Éireann from Ervia. As we are addressing the issue of water services, which are essential to sustaining human life, at a time when there is so much public uncertainty and distress in the matter of other vital services, namely, heat and light, and whether people will have them at all or be able to afford them, this debate gives an urgency and impetus to our work here and gives us a chance to put water and its provisions high in the public mind. Given the circumstances we find ourselves in, with war and soaring energy costs, we can be in no doubt it is critical that our water utility remains in public ownership. It is critical that we have the necessary referendum so the people can have their say and that Irish Water remains a non-commercial, not-for-profit, semi-State company. We will be asking the Government to publish the wording for the referendum and to set a date, as was promised.

In the world we have and the world we are facing, I would be very fearful for our people were water to be privatised and profitised solely as a market commodity, as opposed to being seen and protected as an element essential to human life. It is for this reason that we believe water services should continue to have that connection with local authorities. Something as essential to existence as water should not be out of the reach of the public. I am often contacted by people who have bought houses and are waiting for the keys, and there is that delay because when they contact the council about Irish Water, often because it is a strategic housing development, the delay is a nightmare. We need to see more investment into Irish Water.

We are at a critical time and I do not need to tell the Minister that. The heatwaves of the summer have given us a taste of what we are facing. All across Europe, we saw reservoirs getting lower. We saw the stone emerging in the Shannon and all across Europe, rivers were drying up. We are living in a world where all of us are vulnerable to drought and the food and economic effects that will have. This will make people look more closely at water and the management and provision of that vital service.

As a member of the climate committee, I hear the scientists who have come to talk to us. It is vital that we heed them. We face a world forced to face up to temperature rises, many of which are baked in at this stage. We are going from floods in one country to droughts in another. Uisce Éireann will have to do big and important work within the provisions of this Bill. The accountability provided for by the Bill will be critical because Uisce Éireann will operate in a radically different world to that suggested by those who believe climate change might benefit Ireland because of milder winters and lower heating bills, as the Tánaiste himself said at a climate action plan, if I remember correctly. He is in trouble again now for comparing something to the Sinn Féin manifesto. I do not know why because I think the Sinn Féin manifesto is excellent.

On the other specifics of the Bill, we welcome the Committee of Public Accounts accountability, although we are mystified as to why Uisce Éireann would not have an Accounting Officer reporting straight to the Committee of Public Accounts. I hope the Minister will have another think about that. Equally, we are disappointed that the Minister has chosen not to publish a detailed statement on the conclusion of the Workplace Relations Commission negotiations and the issue of the all-important referendum.

The fact the Minister has to remove “Irish Water” as a title shows how toxic the phrase and the brand “Irish Water” was, how it was rejected across the State and the distress and anger caused in local communities. Considering the dire financial situation so many families are in now, I am glad I was one of those who fought back against Irish Water charges. The rallying of those communities in solidarity and in opposition to Irish Water has not gone away. We are hoping we will have good numbers out on the streets on 24 September because the shadow that cast was long and uncomfortable. It will take more than changing the name from Irish Water to Uisce Éireann to erase that from the Irish memory. The Government will do well to remember that. I am out of time. To conclude, we will be supporting the Bill.

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