Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish both the Minister and Minister of State well in their positions. I look forward to working with them.

As my colleagues have said, infrastructure is the main issue. I went across the road today to Buswells Hotel to meet Uisce Éireann. I am probably one of Uisce Éireann's biggest critics. I have been in business all my life. I like value for money and I do not believe that company is value for money. The Taoiseach did not want to go into Government with us, and that is fine. The Government still has the experience of people who know where there is value for money, and we can help.

There have been mistakes made in the past. The Government's projection this year is that it wants to deliver 60,000 houses. Its projection last year was that it wanted to deliver 40,000 homes, and it delivered just under 30,000. Common sense will tell you that the infrastructure is not there.

Every time there is a change of Government, there is a change of policy. If I wanted to put a business proposal to the Ministers, I would have a five-year plan. I presume Uisce Éireann is doing the same. Then there is a change of Government and it goes in a different direction, and the five-year plan that was started up goes out the window. It cannot do business like that. What the Government needs to do is look at the five-year plan of the previous Government and see how it can add to that rather than going in a different direction. That is how you get value for money. If you are halfway into something and you have to change direction, you then incur costs.

When I look down through the mapping Uisce Éireann showed us today, it was looking at taking water from the Shannon and bringing it to Dublin because 40% of the sewerage capacity for the population of Ireland is in Dublin. This will suck the life out of rural Ireland because there has never been any delivery in the sewerage or water systems in rural counties. Governments have never increased capacity to allow for growth in towns and villages around Ireland, which can be come self-sustainable. That was a mistake that was made and this is what needs to be invested in now.

I am asking the Minister and Minister of State for help and to listen to people with experience. I will help them if they want me to help them. Where mistakes are being made, I will help them to rectify them. If there is no value for money from Uisce Éireann, I want it audited. We will then need to look at other international companies that are able to deliver projects of the same size for less money. Value for money will make sure the money the Government has in its purse can deliver twice the amount of infrastructure if it is done properly.

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