Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let us be clear that Irish Water as it stands is a complete disaster. There is no denying this. Before I continue, I note my unshakeable belief that water should be provided based on need, free at the point of access and funded through general taxation. This Bill separates Uisce Éireann from its parent company Ervia. It was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in committee, yet some recommendations have been omitted. One of these was that the chair of the new entity would be appointed via the Public Appointments Service, PAS. There is no explicit reference regarding the appointment of the chair in this way. The issue here, and this was reflected in the committee's report, is that putting in place an appointments system that is accessible, rigorous and transparent would enhance the prospect that applications would be forthcoming from experienced and qualified people with a commitment to public service.

There is also the issue of the impact on workers. While I do not wish to be drawn into commenting on the industrial relations negotiations, I am conscious that the deal, as agreed, has come in for criticism from county council workers in respect of the retention of their full terms and conditions if they remain in the county council. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could clarify this aspect. Further clarity is also required concerning the lack of a ballot for the unions on this matter. I welcome that the final agreement is voluntary and does not include any compulsory transfers or redundancies.

While I am referring to local authorities, I record the need for water services to have a footprint in these local authorities. If Irish Water had as much knowledge of the finer details of the water system in our localities, then there would be much less of a headache for households compared with the experience in this regard in recent times. This is especially the case for County Tipperary, where thousands of people are now subject to boil water notices. There are 25 areas and surrounding districts thus affected. Some have had boil water notices for the last two weeks. Carrick-on-Suir is a perfect example of this, and there are similar situations elsewhere in County Tipperary. Equally, there is no mention of a referendum, or of holding a referendum, in this Bill. I ask the Minister of State to clarify whether he intends to do this. Sinn Féin supports investment in reducing leakage, improving water quality and enhancing wastewater treatment, but this should all be funded through general taxation, commercial charges and low-cost Government borrowing. To legislate for water charges as the way forward in this regard, as was proposed some years ago, is a false argument and it has been proven to be so.

Before concluding, I draw the attention of the Minister of State to the ongoing issues with taking in charge housing estates. I refer to how the memorandums of understanding between the agencies involved are obviously not working effectively enough. This is the case with estates such as Rock Springs in Kilross and others across County Tipperary. The Minister of State told me that a study is being carried out by Irish Water to develop optimum solutions for estates with DPIs. Where are we at with this endeavour and can the Minister of State convey any sense of urgency in dealing with the matter and in taking many such estates out of this type of limbo?

See this speech in context