Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

We should mark that this time ten years ago, we were in the thick of the battle against water charges. Let us put it on record - it was the most successful anti-austerity campaign at the time when all the austerity was heaped on working, working-class and poor people. This week and this month the Minister swore blind that the Government has no intention of reintroducing water charges. The Taoiseach said the same thing. This week, the Government had a chance to show it meant it by voting for a Bill put forward to repeal the clause the Government left as a safeguard at the time of the effective abolition of the charges. Those of us who campaigned against the charges and organised in our communities warned that a safety measure was kept in by the Government. Ten years on, it has refused to take it away. It seems the EU is twisting the Government's arm once again to reintroduce water charges. I recall ten years ago in this very spot the Government swore blind it never intended to privatise the water system. I recall saying that people on that side of the House would privatise their own mothers if they had the chance. They were hawks for privatisation. Yet again, the Government had the chance to put a provision in the Constitution and it has not taken it. We have to warn people the Government has every intention of introducing water charges. We are going into more tumultuous times in world economy; the cash cow of the tax haven status is being taken away, potentially. The Government will look to make ordinary working-class people pay.

I wish to mention the excessive water charge that has been talked about as being 213,000 l per household, with a cap of €500. That is very generous. As if €500 was not a lot of money for a lot of people. The average house uses 125,000 l so it is very easy to see how the Government can decrease that again and again if it gets away with it, like the brown bin, the green bin and all the other things. I remember the slogan back in 2003, "You only pay for what you throw away". Now you pay for absolutely everything.

I also wish to mention data centres. Of course the water system needs massive investment. Some 500,000 people use at-risk water in this country. We recognise we have to invest in the system with wealth taxes, a financial transaction tax and increased corporation taxes. Uisce Éireann is talking about this excessive charge yet one data centre, for example, in Dublin uses up to 4.5 million l of water a day, the same amount as Dundalk. There is another in Clonee that uses the same amount as Athlone. There is a policy of excessive water use by data centres yet the Government wants ordinary people and householders to pay. It does not make sense. This will be an austerity tax if the Government succeeds in reintroducing it.

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