Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I heard the Minister's words on this Bill. Words are one thing, but action is another. There is an opportunity here to nail this issue once and for all and ensure domestic water charges will not be introduced. I campaigned against domestic water charges and I will do so again. There was major opposition to them in all counties, including in County Laois where communities rallied all over, and we defeated them. Regarding the suggestion that water charges will help to conserve water and address maximum usage, there is no evidence of it. Upgraded pipework is what will do this. We must keep water services in public ownership. As I remember, the Minister's party in 2010 proposed setting up a utility, Irish Water. It was followed up by Fine Gael and the Labour Party in government. There is an allowance there now, with an excess over that of 1.7 times the average use. I find people generally are conserving water.

I refer to the promises made before the election on the triple lock. Many people took the Government at its word on those promises. It was the same with HRT treatment. People took its word on that issue too. I heard what was said. A commitment in respect of water charges was made before the election. What will happen to it? Can we trust the Government on this issue?

The real waste is the cost of the charging system and the waste of money on domestic water meters for houses instead of neighbourhood meters. This was pointed out on the floor of the Dáil. I remember pointing it out to Phil Hogan at the time because that was what engineers were telling me then, and are still telling me. Millions of euro were wasted on installing meters to turn Irish Water into a cash cow. This is what it was about. The hope was that sometime in the future it could be hived off to the private sector and privatised. The real waste has been on establishing and running Irish Water. I ask the Minister to picture this scenario for a moment. Count up the billions of euro that went into Irish Water during the past ten years. If those billions of euro had been given to the local authorities to fix the piping system and the sewage treatment plants, then we would be a long ways on.

I got a reply to a parliamentary question in recent weeks. It said an extra €1 billion is going to Irish Water from the sale of AIB shares. The sale brought in €3 billion and €1 billion is going to Irish Water. This is more money for Irish Water that should be going to the local authorities. The problem in the first place was the establishment of Irish Water. We need to keep water services in public ownership and enshrine this and the right to water in the Constitution. Water charges must be ruled out for good. I appeal to the Minister to do that. He still has a chance to do it and redeem the Government. We could put this issue to bed once and for all.

See this speech in context