Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The Bill we put before the Dáil tonight would scrap water charges for good and would prevent this Government and, indeed, any future government from charging workers and families for household water. Recent reports in the newspapers that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were conniving in the background to reimpose water charges by the back door have sounded alarm bells for many people. These alarm bells cannot be ignored. This has not come from nowhere, as the Minister knows, and significant work was done by his predecessors in the last Government, along with the Department and Uisce Éireann.

It seems that the preparation work continues to be done to dust off the Government's plan from 2017 for a so-called excessive use charge. Of course, people know and understand that this is nothing more than a Trojan Horse for what would eventually be widespread domestic water charges for people connected to the public water system. The Minister also knows from his own constituency and elsewhere that people are struggling with soaring costs of living and are being hammered with rip-off bills right across the board. Households are under huge pressure just to afford the basics and it would be totally unacceptable that any section of our society would be hit with more unfair bills. I am absolutely confident that working people will see through any effort to charge them for water. I am confident that they will, if needs be, protest and campaign against water charges with everything they have got.

When reports of the Government planning to reintroduce water charges appeared in the media, the Minister was very quick onto the airwaves to dismiss this suggestion. The problem is that many people simply do not believe him. They do not trust Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on this issue because of hard-learned experience, and I have to say that I agree with them. The Government parties' track record speaks for itself. For over a decade if not for more, the Minister's party along with Fine Gael have worked together hand in glove through repeated attempts to force domestic water charges on people across the State.

Of course, thankfully, the people fought back in record numbers. In their hundreds of thousands, people across the South of Ireland protested against water charges. We marched, we protested and we campaigned through a long hard campaigning slog and ultimately we defeated the charge.

The Right2Water movement, which opposed not just domestic metered water charges but the privatisation of Irish Water and the introduction of water poverty, was a stand-out success for people and people power. People from all walks of life and from all political backgrounds and none, urban and rural, came together and simply said "No". They came together to stop Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in their tracks and in 2016 the issue was definitively decided, and they forced a monumental climbdown by Government.

However, despite that success, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, during the confidence and supply arrangement, put together an agreement that sought to introduce water charges through the back door. I was a member of the committee-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's time is up, or am I wrong?

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have five minutes, if that is okay.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Excuse me.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Ceann Comhairle is okay.

I was a member of that committee and I sat through the sessions. It was clear that rather than deal with the very substantive issues many of us put on the table, like water conservation, education and changes to planning and building control, the Government simply wanted a mechanism to reintroduce domestic metered water charges. It came up with a proposition of so-called excessive use. Thankfully, that was not introduced immediately afterwards but we saw last year Uisce Éireann publish the water services plan, which included the proposed charge for so-called excessive use. As the Minister knows, at the centre of the media controversy was that his first day brief from the officials included that.

The purpose of the Bill is very straightforward. If the Government wants us and the wider public to believe it that it has no intention to introduce this charge, then vote for this Bill. Why? It is because this Bill removes Part 2 from the 2017 Water Services Act which empowers Uisce Éireann to introduce that charge. If it is really the Government's position that it has no plans at this or any other time to introduce such a charge, we ask it to support this Bill and to put the matter to bed once and for all. If it does not, it will confirm among a large section of the public that, in fact, it does not mean what it says and that it will continue to try to introduce this unjust charge by the back door. If that is the case, not just our party but other parties which will speak here this evening, will make very clear through our actions both in this House and on the street that we will continue to campaign against such unjust charges until the prospect of them is buried once and for all.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas. Officials from Uisce Éireann met with Cork City Council last night. They refused to attend the meeting if it was in public and failed to answer many of the legitimate questions posed by councillors. I met them in February and I was told I would receive responses to my questions that evening. It took a full month before I got a response back.

Uisce Éireann is a law unto itself. It is a public service body which provides no service and hides from the public. I can only imagine the harm that would be done if it could charge people for water. People in Cork are already paying water charges because the water from the taps is so dirty that they have to go to the supermarket every week to buy water in order to have clean water to drink. Uisce Éireann has refused to supply the people of Cork with clean, safe, reliable drinking water. You can imagine the anger people felt when it was suggested that water charges could come back and be introduced for excessive water usage.

The public health advice from the HSE and by Uisce Éireann in Cork is to run your tap until the water runs clear. A man who contacted me ran his tap for six hours before the water was clear. He ran it for six hours and he needs to know that he will never be charged for following the public health advice.

Instead of trying to bring in water charges by the back door, the Government should focus on ensuring the people of Cork have clean, safe drinking water.

The Minister should support the Bill if he is guaranteeing us he does not want to bring in water charges. People have a lack of trust in him and the Government. No one loves Uisce Éireann like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do. In the midst of the public anger and outcry at water charges when the Government tried to bring them in, people stood up. The thing about Uisce Éireann is that the lack of transparency is unbelievable. It might as well be in Area 51 for what we know and can get out of it. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have made it clear. Their own TDs come out and attack Uisce Éireann when things go wrong but, at the same time, they have turned a blind eye to decades of underinvestment. We have water pipes in Cork that have been there longer than the history of the State. If the Minister really wants the people to trust him, I ask him to support the Bill. Remember, the people rose up once against water charges and if they have to do it again they will. I thank everyone, from the water workers to the water campaigners and the Right2Water movement, for standing up and saying "No water charges". I ask the Minister to please support the Bill if he is really honest.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It has already been straightforwardly put to the Minister by my colleagues that if he has no intention whatsoever of introducing water charges, then it would make sense for him just to agree with us. We should agree the Bill and then create a scenario where there is absolutely no doubt with regard to introducing water charges and it becomes an impossibility to do so. We all know it was of serious benefit to the Irish people that what was in the water services plan and the whole idea of excessive use were put into the public domain. We know the Irish people have been absolutely clear that under no circumstances are water charges viable, possible or a solution.

We all accept there are big issues with underinvestment in Irish water infrastructure. Deputy Gould has already spoken about brown water in Cork. I have spoken many times here about the brown water in Dundalk. I agree that a large number of people do not trust the water that is provided. I am very glad there has been a pilot programme and we are looking at something that could be a solution. The problem is that every solution we talk about with regard to Irish Water will always be in the second, third or fourth quarter a couple of years down the line. I ask that we ensure Irish Water is sufficiently funded from a point of view of delivering the solution. I have no doubt, based on my conversations with the Minister, that he is aware of the issue with water treatment and getting rid of wastewater in south Dundalk. There are issues with developments which are now looking at putting in initial water treatment plants. This will be an added cost. We have big issues. I would like the Minister to come back to me on this.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies McDonald and Ó Broin for tabling this important Bill. It simply comprises the repeal of Part 2 of the Water Services Act 2017. The Bill would protect citizens by prohibiting Uisce Éireann from introducing a customer charge for the use of water in excess of a specific threshold amount. Recent reports have flagged that the Government is intent on introducing water charges. Although it has denied this, it would not be beyond the bounds of truth to say water charges have been on the table for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael since 2009. However, the charges were utterly rejected by the Irish people. When Right2Water organised there were 100 massive demonstrations throughout the country in 2014.

We know the plans for water charges are now taking a different strategic approach and are being filtered through a piecemeal incremental package, such as the option of the introduction of a charge for the excess use of water. This would eventually lead to the introduction of a charge by volume which, in turn, would entice private companies to compete with Uisce Éireann and possibly take over our water resources altogether. Water is a human right and must always be protected. We have seen what the privatisation of water means and the consequences that follow. Just look at the story of the Homrich Nine in Detroit, where a private company came in and turned off the water of more than 83,000 people during a heatwave. Look across the water where water charges increased by 26% in April, with an increase of 27% in Wales. The Government must give a full commitment to the citizens of this country that our water networks must never be privatised and that the right to water will be enshrined in the Constitution. If the Minister is serious and honest about not introducing water charges, he should back the Bill. I urge all Deputies to protect the people's interest and support the Bill.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleagues Deputies McDonald and Ó Broin on tabling the Bill. Taking part in the movement to ensure Irish water services were not privatised and water charges were not introduced was an important part of my political life, as it was for many others throughout our communities. Almost a decade ago, I marched during the height of the movement. I also protested when I was baby, in 1990, when our water was turned off and we clearly said that babies need water. At that time, I protested alongside my dad and many others of his generation who had helped to beat those charges. The hundreds of thousands of people who took part in some form of action or other in every corner of the State will remember what we were up against. We had heard the lines that water charges were not a precursor to the privatisation of water charges. That was always nonsense. The introduction of meters and charges were to act as a thin end of a wedge. There was a large public relations effort to tell people they needed to grow up and get real. These are the usual lines we often hear when we are being prepared for something. This did not deter people. These charges were opposed and eventually beaten. It is high time the matter was put to bed once and for all. The Bill would remove Uisce Éireann's power to introduce a charge for so-called excessive use of water by ordinary households. That is long overdue.

When we are speaking about Uisce Éireann, I have to mention the extreme difficulty there is in getting information for our constituents when they do not have access to water. I have been continuously highlighting this with regard to the Rosmuck area in my constituency and with regard to our offshore islands. It is 2025 and really and truly we need to have a plan for our offshore islands. Inis Oírr and Inishbofin have real issues, particularly in the summer, in terms of access to water. I know Uisce Éireann now has a plan to try to address the issues on Inishbofin, and this is welcome, but we need a strategic plan for the islands.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Uisce Éireann has failed miserably so many villages in our counties of Wexford and Wicklow. Recently in Aughrim and previously in Camolin, I met builders who are ready to build desperately needed housing but Irish Water's failure to invest in wastewater treatment plants in both villages means they cannot proceed. Householders and small businesses, whether in Bunclody, Gorey, Arklow, Rathdrum or other areas, are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. A water tax would represent the last straw.

As previous speakers have said, water is very precious. Water is life and it must be conserved. Unfortunately, the Government has failed to invest in water infrastructure as we in Sinn Féin have been continually advocating. Instead, we have a massive 37% of water lost due to the underground network not being maintained. We are seeing the possibility of hard-pressed householders and small businesses being asked to foot the bill.

People power on the streets of counties Wexford and Wicklow and elsewhere defeated water charges in 2015. I have no doubt it will do so again in 2025 if necessary. The Water Services Act 2017 is still on the Statute Book. The Government and the Minister have said there are no plans to enact these extra taxes. If so, they have nothing to fear from backing our legislation so we can draw a line under this and put an end to this long-running saga once and for all.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

An awful lot of people, certainly in my constituency and rural areas, find it very difficult to deal with Uisce Éireann. We cannot get through to it. Nobody can get talking to it. People cannot get any reply to their queries and issues. Most of the water in many parts of the country is provided by group schemes. If the group schemes agree to be taken over, then Uisce Éireann will engage with them but it will only engage with them or take them over provided they are up to a certain standard. They cannot get up to that standard unless they get assistance to improve the pipe system but Uisce Éireann will not process their applications for grants. I am not the only TD in the House with this issue. I have spoken to TDs on the Minister's benches who tell me they have the very same problems everywhere.

The truth is that Uisce Éireann as a concept has been a total disaster. We said this from the beginning. When the local authorities were dealing with this issue, they had people on the ground who knew what was happening and were able to deal with it, and they did so effectively and efficiently. There needs to be a sense of realism here.

Uisce Éireann has failed utterly and any introduction of water charges on top of that would be a further compounding of that failure.

One of the things Uisce Éireann charges for is a connection. Here is an example. My understanding is that a connection fee for water is €2,200 or thereabouts. However, if the distance is more than 10 m, Uisce Éireann charges €358 per metre, so to put in a connection the distance from me to the Minister would cost approximately €3,500 extra. What the company is saying to people is that if they are not on the line, they will not get water because they will be priced out of it. That is totally unfair, particularly for people who live in rural areas where houses are often a bit more dispersed. There needs to be recognition that if people are to be provided a people, it has to be affordable and practical. To do what Uisce Éireann is doing to people is totally outrageous. That is the problem we have with Uisce Éireann. It continually puts obstacles in people's way so they cannot get the service they deserve and want. When they do get it, in many areas the water they get is not to the quality it should be. That is an issue. We know there are several places around the country where we have these issues. There have been boil water notices in place for years. We also have major wastewater problems in our towns. In several towns in my constituency there are opportunities to build more houses. Developers want to build them and the local authorities are talking about zoning land, but the problem is that the water system is not up to scratch, and nor is the wastewater service.

Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin is intent on scrapping water charges once and for all. We have been consistent in our opposition to this taxation. To be clear, water is not free. Households pay for their water. It is an essential service and is covered by general taxation. Consecutive Governments have wanted the public to pay for their water three times - through general taxation, the costs of setting up and running Uisce Éireann and, finally, failed water charges. We are introducing this Private Members' Bill to send out a clear message to the public. We are true to our word. We oppose water charges and now we want to bury them once and for all.

When Fine Gael and the Labour Party attempted to impose water charges, they were met with mass resistance and people power. I was proud to play my role in the Right2Water campaign in Swords. Right2Water was a coalition of trade unions, communities and progressive political parties. Sinn Féin activists were central to its success. We leafleted, marched and picketed until the Government finally paid attention. Now it is time to finish the job. We submitted draft legislation to put water charges in the rubbish bin. This legislation is crucial because the public simply does not trust Government on this. The Minister's Government commissioned a report, so it is looking at introducing water charges. He can say the charge will only be for so-called excessive use, but it is a smokescreen for the introduction of domestic water charges for all households. This is exactly what happened when Fine Gael's Phil Hogan established Irish Water. This Government has no mandate to introduce domestic water charges. There was no mention of them in its manifesto and no reference to their introduction in its programme for Government. Now it is time for it to make up its mind. If it is serious about not introducing water charges, I urge the Minister to support this Bill and allow it to progress to the next Stage. If he opposes the Bill, it will be a clear indication that the Government intends to reintroduce water charge. The public will not stand for that.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government opposes this Bill. I highlight the fact that the previous programme for Government included a commitment to introduce water conservation charges. Despite the commitment in that programme, Sinn Féin did not table any legislation to prohibit water conservation charges. Water conservation charges do not form part of the new programme for Government, yet we now see Sinn Féin tabling this legislation, wasting time and inventing a phantom to fight against rather than engaging in good faith.

It is important to remember that the legislation to implement water charges was contained in the Water Services Act 2014 and this legislation was repealed by the Water Services Act 2017. There is therefore no statutory basis for the introduction of water charges. The Government simply has no power to do it. No legislation exists that allows us to do it. Part 2 of the Water Services Act 2017 contains other provisions such as amending the Water Services Act 2007 to include An Fóram Uisce as one of the bodies that the Minister can make grants to out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. It also contains a provision for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, to carry out a review to assess the rate of household demand for water services provided by Uisce Éireann. This proposed Bill would not allow the Minister to make grants to An Fóram Uisce and so impacts its ability to function. It would also take away the need for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to assess household demand and limit the data available for the consideration by the water conservation working group, which advises me on water conservation strategy.

I will also address progress on the other water conservation measures recommended by the 2017 report of the Joint Committee on Future Funding of Domestic Water Services. In recommendation 5.2, the committee recommends that adequate resources be invested to reduce leaks in the shortest possible timeframe. Uisce Éireann has a national leakage reduction programme, and from October 2023 to September 2024, 23,416 leaks were fixed. Investment in the various works initiatives under the leakage reduction programme directly addresses resilience issues in the network. Uisce Éireann will be investing €250 million every year up to the end of 2030, fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.

In recommendation 5.3, the committee recommends that the first fix free scheme remain in place. The first fix free scheme is still in place and aims to help reduce the amount of water wasted through leaks on customers' properties. From 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2023, 19,523 customers had a leak repair carried out by Uisce Éireann under the first fix free scheme, with 90.79 million l of gross water savings per day.

In recommendation 5.4, the committee recommends that a more proactive approach be taken to promoting the awareness of the importance of domestic water conservation in Ireland. Uisce Éireann has sponsored An Taisce's Green Schools water programme every year since 2013. The programme provides education and training on ways to think differently about how to use water both in school and at home, and to look at ways of conserving our water resources. The 2024-25 Green Schools water ambassador programme was formally launched late last year and Uisce Éireann supports Green Schools through events such as the annual walk for water, which coincides with World Water Day on 22 March.

In recommendation 5.7, the committee recommends that the principle of open data be adopted for water research purposes and the data collected by the water utility, the CRU and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, be provided to the public water forum and society for analysis and decision-making purposes. The principle of open data has been adopted by Uisce Éireann and the EPA and the data is freely available online.

There are a number of other recommendations, including that the conservation of water resources be embedded as a principle of water policy in Ireland. A cross-departmental strategy to increase water conservation in all new domestic buildings should incorporate water conservation fittings. These are addressed in the Water Services Policy Statement 2024-2030, which was published in February 2024. It emphasises the high-level objectives and priorities for the provision of water services, including water supply and wastewater treatment to 2030. Sustainability is one of the key objectives of the water services policy, with the objective that water services will be efficient, resilient and sustainable in the long term. Under this objective, the priorities are to ensure public water services are sustainable, climate targets are met for the sector and water conservation forms a cornerstone of water policy.

Water is a precious resource and although there is enough annual rainfall in Ireland, we are limited in how much water we can take from the environment. By only using what we need, we can all play our part in safeguarding our water for our future. Uisce Éireann's national water resources plan introduces three solution pillars - lose less, use less and supply smarter - to ensure we have sustainable water supplies to meet our future needs. Water meters provide valuable information on water consumption rates to the water supplier. This information is used to manage service delivery, plan for future demand and identify excessive water usage. The identification of excessive water usage allows the water supplier to engage directly on demand management with the occupier. Excessive water usage is regularly associated with customer side losses through leakage. As a water conservation measure, meters give the water supplier the capability to identify potential leaks quickly through an analysis of its customers' usage profiles.

With regard to public water services, Uisce Éireann must continue to communicate the importance of water conservation to its customers. An Fóram Uisce published a policy position on water conservation in June 2023. This position outlines the need for the importance of water conservation in Ireland and its priority recommendations call for a committed Government strategy for water conservation, including a programme of actions to implement water conservation nationally and the establishment of a national conservation team to lead that water conservation strategy. I appreciate the need for developments in water conservation and am committed to working with An Fóram Uisce to build upon its current research to realise the most effective outcomes in enhancing the delivery of water conservation nationally. To help drive this conservation effort, a national water conservation working group will be established to advise me on a future strategy for water conservation and prioritisation of resources during periods of water stress.

The introduction of the household water conservation charge is not in the programme for Government and the charge will not be introduced. It is extraordinary how many of the Sinn Féin Deputies never even mentioned water conservation, preferring instead, for their social media clips, to give a sense that this is actually a debate about water charges, which the Government has no legal power to introduce, as the Deputies know only too well. Sinn Féin is bringing forward legislation to prohibit something we are already prohibited from doing. Legislation would have to be brought in to give the Government the power to do it.

All this misdirection is coming from a statement from one official put into a brief to prepare for the Minister coming in. I was not even the Minister when that was prepared. Sinn Féin Deputies are deliberately trying to confuse in the minds of the public what is an official statement and what is a political decision. It is very disconcerting. While I understand Sinn Féin is reeling from losing more than 20% of its vote in the general election and is taking an approach that for the lifetime of this Government, it will abandon credibility and responsibility, what is proposed here goes to a whole new level. Sinn Féin is coming forward with legislation to deal with phantom alarm bells going off in its head. What is proposed here is simply disingenuous. It is not necessary and is a waste of Government and Dáil time.

This week, we are facing some of the most extraordinary threats to the economy of this country that have been seen in almost 20 years. These are coming from a global situation. We are facing a real risk of a recession. The global warfare around tariffs, with major nations pitching against each other, is an enormous threat to this State, its financial well-being and, in turn, what it can do going forward. We need to work together in this Dáil to deal with that threat. Instead of dealing with that threat and the international threats to this State, however, Sinn Féin Deputies are coming in here to debate phantom legislation in order to get social media clips to whip up fear and anger about something that is simply not true. Their evidence is all based on a statement from an official that was prepared for a brief. They know the difference between an official’s note and a political decision. We made it very clear after Sinn Féin came out with its statement that we would not be introducing water conservation charges in the lifetime of this Government. We will not do so.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In the lifetime of this Government.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When the previous Government proposed doing it, Sinn Féin did not bring forward any legislation because it was not on the front page of the national newspapers. Here, we have an opportunity for a little media attention, which is why Sinn Féin has jumped on it, even though it is the clear intention of this Government not to do so. The Government has no legal power to bring in water charges without additional legislation.

It is extremely frustrating that we are dealing here with a distortion of the truth and a misdirection from Sinn Féin. It is in line with what has been going on in recent weeks. While I have no doubt that Sinn Féin is not going to resile from its position, people at home are looking at the Dáil, in the context of the threats to this State, and seeing this kind of nonsense proliferated by the other side of the House for distraction and misdirection. That is really disappointing and unfortunate.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

No one trusts the Minister on this issue, given what has happened in the past. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted when it comes to water charges. The fact that the Minister is opposing this Bill confirms we are right to have those suspicions. Water is a human right. Water charges punish the likes of pensioners and people on low incomes. They push people into water poverty. We have a cost-of-living crisis and there is no justification for charges. We have discovered, however, that the Government is working behind the scenes to introduce charges. That is in the public domain.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is no evidence of that.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Funnily enough, this was not mentioned during the general election campaign because the Minister knows this is something the Irish public does not support. This has never been about conservation or tackling excessive use from the Government’s point of view. It is simply an attempt to bring domestic water charges in through the back door. If it was about conservation, we would have proper investment in our water infrastructure and underground network. The Government should ensure that Uisce Éireann has funding to address these issues and to accelerate its leakage reduction programme to address the biggest cause of water loss in the domestic water system, but it fails to do that. That shows it is not about water conservation but, rather, about finding an excuse to put another bill on top of hard-pressed households which are already crippled with high energy and fuel costs, insurance costs, childcare costs and rent. The list goes on and on. People already pay for their domestic water services through general taxation. Introducing a domestic water charge would be a form of double taxation that would do nothing to improve conservation but would simply punish workers and families across the State who are already struggling. If the Government really does not intend to bring in water charges, it should support and enact the Bill to put this issue to bed once and for all. That it is not doing so speaks volumes. Even if it does not support the Bill, water charges will ultimately be rejected again by the Irish people, if it comes down to it.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The aim of this Bill is to scrap water charges once and for all and to give people-----

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

They are already gone.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----certainty that the prospect of such charges being introduced will never arise again.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have never heard such nonsense in my life.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Eight years after the legislation to introduce water charges was passed, efforts have been made in recent days to reintroduce the charges, which were described as a high-level priority by the Department of housing. Uisce Éireann’s water charges plan 2024 describes in full how excess water charges for domestic users will work. In order to implement these water charges, Uisce Éireann would have to wait until a legal framework is put in place to give the charges effect.

In attempting to introduce water charges, the Government faced enormous opposition from the general public. The attempt to introduce this austerity measure caused great anger and resentment among the population, leading to mass protests and a refusal by many to pay charges and bills issued by Irish Water. There has been a large overspend of money on establishing the entity known as Irish Water. It cost approximately €180 million, of which €18 million was spent on consultants alone. Additionally, the nationwide water meter installation programme to install more than 1 million water meters, which began in 2013, cost a total of €539 million, which was €100 million in excess of the estimated costs. It also cost Irish Water €100,000 to rebrand itself as Uisce Éireann in 2022. These ridiculous spends would have been better used to upgrade the water infrastructure by the local authorities which previously had responsibility for water services.

The Taoiseach said recently that there would be no return to water charges. We remain to be convinced of his sincerity on this matter. Any attempt to reintroduce such charges, either overtly or through the back door, will be resisted by Sinn Féin and the people of Ireland. If the Government wants to allay the fears of the people, it should back this Bill, which would repeal the section of the Water Services Act that allows Uisce Éireann to charge domestic water service users for water.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister is clearly rattled judging by his response to the first part of the debate. We have seen what the Department suggested. The problem is that the Government has to gain the trust of the people on this issue, not ours, and it certainly does not have the public’s trust on it.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is confusing my frustration with the waste of time in this Chamber.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Gabh mo leithscéal, Minister, it is my time. I did not interrupt the Minister in fairness, even though he was talking utter shite. Gabh mo leithscéal. I should not have said that.

People do not trust Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on this issue. They have good reason for that. The Minister spoke about Sinn Féin losing votes in the election. The Minister’s party, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael had the lowest vote they ever got in the history of the State. He should not be lecturing us on election results.

The reason this Bill is necessary is that when it comes to the issue of water charges, no one trusts the two parties in Government. One of the first campaigns in which I was involved was the campaign against water charges in the 1980s in Limerick. A decade ago, I was again involved in the water charges campaign, a grassroots, people-led campaign that defeated water charges. If necessary, it will do so again.

The Bill we are discussing, which the Minister refuses to support, would repeal the aspect of the 2017 Act that allows for Uisce Éireann to introduce a customer charge for water use. That is exactly what we are saying the Government refuses to support. That is why we do not have confidence in the Minister when he says that is not what the Government wants to do. The Government does not have the trust of the people on this issue, which is the reason we are bringing forward this Bill. When we vote on it tomorrow night, people will see where the Government stood on the issue of water charges when it had the chance to do it.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The last thing households across this State need, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, is another unfair bill. This proposal by Sinn Féin is very simple. It removes the option of this Government or any future governments to reimpose domestic water charges down the line. It is as simple as that.

We all saw reports in the media last month that the Government was examining the possibility of bringing in the so-called excessive-use charge. The Minister was very quick to downplay these reports, but the reality is that the public does not have any trust with this Government when it comes to water charges. This Bill will give certainty. It will scrap water charges once and for all. Like everyone else in the Chamber, I remember the real anger on the streets when previous governments attempted to bring in water charges. I was on the protests, marching with communities who faced down these charges. I have no doubt that any attempt to backtrack on water charges by the Government will be met with the same opposition as back then.

If the Government is really concerned about conserving water, we need to see investment in our public water network. Leaks need to be repaired and the old system needs to be brought up to standard, but we are not seeing this being done. The reality is that once a blanket charge comes in, it is very difficult to get rid of it and the bill to the household never goes down. This is very simple; if the Minister is not planning to reintroduce water charges, he should support this Bill.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When it appeared in the news that a recent briefing document prepared for the Minister, when he was new to his role, listed the finalisation of the draft household water conservation charge regulations as a high-level priority, my reaction, along with the majority of the country, was that they could not be serious. How many times do Governments need to be told that "No" means no before it sinks in? Of course, there were swift denials from the Taoiseach and other actors but we have learned not to trust Fianna Fáil's word when it comes to Irish Water or Uisce Éireann or whatever name the State water entity wants to give itself in the future. The Fianna Fáil 2016 general election manifesto, An Ireland for All, stated that the party's core priorities included abolishing Irish Water and water charges. Just like the Fianna Fáil promise in the lead-up to last year's general election that 40,000 housing units would be delivered, that pledge was also misleading. The people of Ireland cannot take the word of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael Governments when it comes to Uisce Éireann or water charges, be it by conservation charges, metering or however it can be labelled and dressed up. The Sinn Féin water services Bill is needed to ensure that manoeuvres by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, by hook or by crook, to introduce water charges on the general public do not succeed.

If half of the energy was put into making Uisce Éireann fully fit for purpose, with sufficient capital funding, as is put into plotting to shaft the Irish people with water charges, we would all be a lot better off. A mammoth amount of works needs to be done within Uisce Éireann. Parts of north Louth experience water outages and discolouration issues all too frequently. There are major supply issues around Clogherhead and Termonfeckin in south Louth. Above all, the communication between Uisce Éireann and the people it serves and their elected representatives is atrocious. Of the 29 councillors in Louth County Council, there is not one who has not had major frustrations in this regard. In my own experience, it took years at one stage to get an answer on capacity in Drogheda and south Louth. I would go as far as to say that there is not one councillor in Louth who has any confidence in this entity at all.

The final nail needs to be put into the coffin of water charges and that is what this Bill is for. The Minister's opposition, his deflection and his blasé response by calling this a waste of time is shameful. Mark my words: the Irish people will not accept any steps of any kind to move on water charges. Feet on the street and mass mobilisations in communities the length and breadth of the country stopped water charges before and if needs be, they will do so again. The Minister's labelling of the Bill as nonsense is disgusting and making faces says more about him and the contempt in which he holds the Irish people than it does about anything else.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies McDonald and Ó Broin for bringing this Bill, which the Labour Party will be supporting, to the House. We opposed the Water Services Act 2017 when it was introduced. To quote my former party colleague, Jan O’Sullivan, it was "a complete fudge between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael". It is incredible to me that we are still talking about water charges in 2025. They were put on the table in 2010 by Fianna Fáil in its agreement with the troika after it bulldozed the economy. The issue was then taken up by Fine Gael and the buck was passed to my own party. I will not try to absolve us of our role in that matter. Obviously, we have been on a journey with water charges. We have paid a price for it politically and on a personal level for some of our public representatives. We took a position, we made an argument and we lost that argument - we accept that. As far as we are concerned, it is a settled issue.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That was our position.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Despite what the Minister says, it appears that there are whisperings that it is not a settled position for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. It is understandable that recent reports that Uisce Éireann would be introducing excess-use charges would raise alarm bells. It is an emotive issue for many people, as we in the Labour Party know all too well. As environment spokesperson for the Labour Party, I am of course sympathetic to the argument that we need to curb excess water usage or the amount of water that goes to waste. Water is a precious and finite resource, and from an environmental and climate change perspective, it is important that we protect our water and our water supply. As climate change progresses and accelerates, it will become an increasingly scarce resource, so we cannot treat it like some abundant commodity.

Under the plan published by Uisce Éireann, every household in Ireland would have a 213,000 l allowance and any usage above that, subject to certain exceptions, would face a charge. The average household use is 125,000 l, or approximately 40% below the limit. I find it difficult to believe, based on the figures, that excess use among households is such a widespread issue that domestic charges would ever need to be introduced. Obviously, there will be some people who are wasteful with water but, by and large, I think people are generally conscious of how much they use and do their best to keep their usage to roughly what they actually need. This cannot possibly be a revenue-raising measure. I imagine the amount that would be raised would be little more than minuscule anyway, and it would be far, far short of what is actually required in terms of investment in our water infrastructure.

If this does come to pass, it would be a punitive measure designed to curb excess water use, which I am sympathetic to as a goal. However, if we are looking seriously at conserving water and protecting our supply, the finger is being pointed possibly in the wrong direction. Average water use is 40% below the threshold where these charges would kick in, which tells me that domestic use is not really the issue. Instead, if we are going to levy water charges, we should be levying them where we know that there is a massive level of consumption. I am already on the record regarding my opposition to this Government green-lighting more data centres, due to their enormous consumption of energy, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they produce and the pressure they put on our energy grid. We also need to talk about the huge amounts of water it takes to run them. l am conscious that, like all non-domestic users, data centres are required to pay for the water they use. Given the sheer scale of that usage and the run-off effects in terms of waste water generated and the increasing pressure put on the system by growing demand in this area, I think there is scope for additional levies to be imposed. Let us take the waste water which data centres generate as an example. Of the water consumed globally by Microsoft data centres in 2021, 41% of it went to waste. Granted, it could be returned to treatment facilities, but as far as I am aware, there is no cost associated with that waste water and the additional pressure it adds to treatment facilities. The upshot of that additional pressure is that in cases where the treatment plants do not have sufficient capacity, untreated or partially treated water is released into local water bodies. It is a similar case for Google, where around 27% of the water taken in by its data centres globally was discharged as effluent.

In its 2024 environmental impact report, Google stated that its Dublin data centre withdrew 2.7 million l of water, and in Google data centres globally, water use increased by 17% on the previous year. The company has stated publicly that the expansion of Al will lead to more demand for data centres, and therefore, more demand for water. We are all aware of the growing demand for energy in data centres as well, of course.

There are two salient points here. The first is that all of our climate action plans have been quite clear about the potential threat posed to our water supply and water quality. Climate Action Plan 2021 was perhaps the most explicit in this regard. It suggested that climate change will likely result in:

Increased water demand as a result of the increased frequency of heatwaves, leading to further strain on water transmission and distribution networks, as well as on supply (abstraction and storage).

The second point is that Uisce Éireann's national water resources plan notes that nearly 60% of our water resource zones are in deficit and cannot provide reliability to customers in normal circumstances. That number increases to 67% of water resources in winter conditions and 79% in drought conditions. What I am trying to get at here is that data centres are taking huge amounts of water out of a system that is not only facing serious threats as a result of climate change, but is also struggling currently to provide sufficient reliability. It is in that context that we need to be looking at some sort of additional levy on the high-use consumers, based on the polluter pays principle. This should go beyond some punitive measure on ordinary people and actually contribute to further investment in our network of pipes, investment that is desperately needed.

The small number of household consumers who use excess amounts of water surely pales in comparison to data centres or other high-consuming commercial enterprises like large-scale industrial farming or pharma. In order to address wastewater and improve water conservation, we must sort out the pipe network. It is a genuine outrage that nearly 40% of water is lost through leakages before it ever reaches a tap. I accept that some progress has been made in recent years on bringing that number down. There are complicating factors, but progress has been slow. We must urgently ramp up investment on the delivery of an improved water infrastructure network. As I suggested, perhaps an additional levy on high-consuming commercial enterprises might form part of the funding model.

I will conclude by returning to the main crux of this motion. A large part of the concern around the introduction of water charges was that it would lead to the privatisation of water services. That was never the intention of the Labour Party when we held the relevant brief, but there is public concern in that regard and we acknowledge it. The obvious solution to putting these concerns and the issue to bed is to hold a referendum to enshrine water resources and infrastructure in public ownership. In 2016, the Labour Party introduced a Bill to the Dáil to give effect to that, as well as to ensure gas and electricity transmission and distribution networks remain in public ownership. That remains our position. I urge the Government to seriously consider such a referendum. It may well be the case that the Government has no intention of introducing water charges, which we would welcome, or of privatising water resources and infrastructure, as we have heard, but there is sufficient doubt and scepticism about that. The introduction of domestic water charges is pointing the finger in the wrong direction. The elephant in the room is data centres and other large commercial businesses that put serious pressure on water security. That is where we must look if we are ever to apply something along the lines of a polluter pays principle.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Water and the adequate funding of water infrastructure is something we have failed to address. We all know that there are huge issues with water infrastructure. Uisce Éireann needs at least €60 billion over 25 years to repair our water system. This is something we have failed to adequately address. It is crucial, not only for our economic development but also for the basic amenity of being able to swim in open water. I always find it a bit strange that we almost have a tolerance for raw sewage running into our bathing infrastructure. I often swim, for example, at Kilkee Beach in County Clare. It is a fantastic beach, but we often cannot swim there because of raw sewage running into the sea.

In my own city of Limerick, and very near to where I am from, we have the Corbally Baths, which was originally a public outdoor swimming pool. It was such a fantastic amenity. We can look across the water to the UK, if Members will pardon the pun, at the swimming infrastructure there, despite the challenges that they also have with their water infrastructure. Raw sewage has been running from the Shannon into the Corbally Baths for the past 40 or 50 years. The baths had to close. We have had repeated water testing by the local authority but nothing has ever changed. We must get serious about this because we have facilities like that all over the country that could serve as municipal swimming areas. A great campaign was led over the last two years by Feargal Sharkey to highlight the poor quality of the bathing waters all over the UK. We need something like that in this country because there are huge swathes of the country where the waters are unswimmable from time to time, for example, when we have had heavy rainfall. We seem to have an almost blasé semi-tolerance of it.

We must also look at new ways of treating water. I would love the Government to make progress with the installation of anaerobic digestion tanks at water treatment plants around the country. I would also like the Government to come forward with planning exemptions for critical infrastructure such as for water treatment, because we have a significant issue with excessive infiltration of the Shannon when the river is high that affects drinking water and bathing water in Limerick.

Not in my constituency, but in the neighbouring constituency of Limerick County, there are significant issues in towns like Newcastlewest. Such towns are essentially being held back by totally inadequate water infrastructure, including in the main area of the Minister's brief, namely, housing. Investment in Irish Water must be aligned on a multi-annual basis with the Government's new housing targets.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister's responses to Sinn Féin on bringing forward this motion were a bit glib and petty. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion. It is important that we are very clear on the issue. I am disappointed to hear the Government is not supporting the motion. It is understandable that people are extremely concerned about the potential return of water charges. I remember the massive devastation that happened to people in communities due to the Minister's party's policies ten or so years ago, at the time of austerity. Those policies are what brought us there. He could at least have a bit of humility about the impacts of austerity and how it devastated this country. As the economic winds again change, he could also forgive people for being deeply concerned that we will see the reimposition of austerity in the form of cuts to public services and charges for services like water. That is the reason it is more important than ever now that we rule out the possibility of water charges in any form being brought forward.

We could take the Minister at his word that he is not going to introduce water charges, but it is very clear from Uisce Éireann's strategy that there is a need or it is pushing for water charges in some form under its corporate management plan. We hear in the public debate that others also think there should be water charges. Fine Gael introduced them initially, and I am sure it has not completely gone off them.

It is important to engage seriously with the discussion on this motion and with what is being brought forward. I welcome that because of the opportunity to discuss the nature of Uisce Éireann and water as a public good and a human right. I remember working alongside people in the Right2Water campaign and marching with them. The concern was about water charges, but it was also about water as a public good and as a resource. Ordinary people across this country see the importance of clean water. As has been mentioned, they are living with poor water quality, a lack of wastewater infrastructure, and a lack of public water infrastructure. Looking to the likes of the UK, they understand what happens when you privatise water and when it is not a public good. I remember being very inspired by many of the protesters who pointed to the international experience. They were not just protesting about water charges; they were protesting for water being a public good and for us having a public infrastructure. On that basis, I again call on the Minister to enshrine water in our Constitution as a public good. This was previously sought by the Right2Water campaign and others.

I wish to talk about the potential impact of charges if they are brought in. Theoretically, there is a need for sources of funding for Irish Water such as water charges and that has been debated and discussed in the media.

We also need to talk about what would happen if water charges were brought in, even for excessive use. For example, I recently received an email from a constituent who has been working since was 18. She has been renting for more than ten years. She now spends at least 35% of her monthly income on rent and that is before she pays for utilities. Other energy costs are soaring. The cost of childcare is eye-watering. Families have to go to the private system to get care and assessments they need for their children. Against this dysfunctional backdrop of a high cost of living and a lack of public services, we have to completely rule out the possibility of bringing in water charges. The Minister can blame Sinn Féin for raising it, but it was in the note from his officials, as he referenced himself. Therefore, it is clearly not completely off the agenda. The Minister can say it is politically off the agenda and I welcome that commitment, but there needs to be a clear commitment and supporting this Bill would show that.

The potential charge for excessive water use has the potential to put families under further pressure. All households should have equitable access to water. Those with higher usage should not be penalised across the board, because some will be able to pay the higher cost and some will not. We heard in the public discussion in recent weeks examples of people with additional needs and families and households with disabilities who have significant water usage and how bringing in water charges would potentially impact on these vulnerable groups and families. The model of water we should have should not be based on two-tier access to resources and services, but on access to water as a public good and a human right. Currently, Uisce Éireann is not delivering that. It is not delivering water of the quality it should. It is not delivering it as a human right, especially in respect of that issue of quality. The question then comes: if Uisce Éireann is not doing that, what needs to change?

Clearly there is a need to look at how Uisce Éireann is functioning and how it is delivering and responding to services. This is part of the emergency response to housing that we need to see. In particular, is the area of wastewater, which, as others mentioned, is flowing into our rivers and seas and polluting the water that is not just for leisure activities such as swimming, but is also for consumption. In that leisure use of rivers where people swim, it is causing illness to people who use it. It is a pity because we have an incredible natural resource in our waterways and seas around our coast and yet, we do not do what should be done, which is protect that water as a public good and natural resource.

It is also important that we look at what has happened in the UK with privatisation. It is important that the Government clearly rule out any potential introduction of charges, even excessive charges, and enshrine water as a public good. It is about keeping water public because when we look at what has happened in the UK with privatisation, we see that since the UK privatised water in the 1980s, water companies such as Thames Water have faced debt and insufficient investment. This time last year only 14 rivers in England had good ecological status and none had a good chemical status. There are also frequent sewage spills across the country while water bills are rising steadily in the UK with an average annual price of £287 and this is expected to continue to rise. A child poverty charity reported in February that 15% of households in England and Wales are in water poverty, spending more than 3% of their income on water. Slightly further afield in Spain, the situation is as dire.

We have to rule out the privatisation of our water system and service. That is why we are calling on the Government to enshrine the public control of water in the Constitution in order to safeguard against this future. Without constitutional protection, the Government cannot guarantee fair water pricing or equal access to water for all.

There is a real issue and concern in this situation of economic turbulence that there will be a return to austerity. In that context, we support this Bill to rule out any potential introduction of excessive use charges and call on the Minister to go into Uisce Éireann, take responsibility for it and look at what is needed in respect of investment in wastewater infrastructure and water infrastructure to ensure quality water is delivered to people's homes, is in our seas and rivers and, importantly, to ensure we can deliver the housing that is needed.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill to repeal Part 2 of the Water Services Act 2017 and rule out the reintroduction of water charges by this and future Governments. I fully support the Bill. I am disappointed to hear of the Government's intention to reintroduce water charges despite knowing how strongly the public feels about this. The charge may be for excessive use of water at this stage. However, I believe that once it is introduced the Government will find a way to introduce domestic water charges for every household.

The Government is being completely disingenuous when it cites water conservation as the reason for the introduction of water charges. If this Government was really concerned about water conservation it would address the issues with Uisce Éireann, particularly issues with water infrastructure and leakages. Uisce Éireann is causing real problems for the development of the country, especially in Donegal. Water leakages are a huge issue in Donegal. Many of our pipes are not fit for the pressure and are bursting. Staff are often forced to do emergency repairs at the weekend, which has knock-on effects on costs. Uisce Éireann continually sends out repair reports. What is really needed is a complete infrastructural update.

In Inishowen, the upgrade of the Meendoran to Clonmany trunkmain needs to be fast-tracked. It has burst on many occasions. There have been multiple significant outages affecting hundreds of homes for weeks at a time. We were recently informed that upgrades would proceed. As I said, if the Government truly cared about water conservation, it would have prioritised this and fixed this problem and many others. Millions and millions of length of pipe throughout the country have burst.

As well as this, there are two areas in Malin Head and on the Wild Atlantic Way where the council is not able to repair the roads because Uisce Éireann will not complete the pipe improvement works that are needed in the area. This is completely unacceptable. Shockingly, water is leaving Inishowen to service other parts of the county with Inishowen left airlocked. In a country where it rains almost every day, we should be able to store water in reservoirs built in local areas. Rural areas are very badly serviced when it comes to water. Again, the Government suggesting the introduction of a charge for an extremely poor service is outrageous.

Tens of thousands of people from across the country marched in Dublin to protest against water charges. I was one of them and I will do it again. Almost a decade later, the Government is still trying to find ways to charge people for water during a cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling to get by with ever increasing bills for food and electricity. We must stop and scrap water charges altogether, once and for all.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed with the Minister's response. It was termed glib and another word was used. It certainly was. I listened to it carefully in my office.

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill. It is being proposed that we repeal Part 2 of the 2017 Act. I read the Second Stage speech made by then Minister, Eoghan Murphy. It was to undo the charges brought in under a previous Act in 2013, but unfortunately, Part 2 was left in this, which gives complete openness in terms of introducing charges.

I am glad the Minister is shaking his head. If we are so wrong on this side, I will be the first to say it. I wish I could believe the Minister, but we have seen what is going to happen in relation to the triple lock. We have seen solemn promises and declarations, and it is very difficult to have trust. If I as a politician do not have trust, it is very difficult for me to instil trust in people on the ground. I will go, therefore, with Sinn Féin's proposal regarding repealing Part 2 of the relevant legislation because it leaves it wide open. More generally, we cannot deal with water other than as a basic human right. Housing is the same, by the way. I pay tribute to former Deputy Joan Collins. She did tremendous work in respect of water as a human right, including tabling a Bill to enshrine water as a basic human right in our Constitution. Unfortunately, it has not happened. I wish it were the case.

We are here now and instead of dealing with how best to conserve water and bring people on board, we are looking at this situation. In my experience, we led the way in Galway on recycling. I often get bored here listening to references to reduce, reuse and recycle. We were doing that for 24 years in Galway. Questions were asked about where the rubbish was going, but, theoretically, we had a brilliant service. It was then privatised and absolutely destroyed. My problem is we are looking on people as the problem. People want to do something about climate change and water conservation. The duplicity of successive Governments, however, makes it very difficult to support them.

To go back to water, I spent 17 years at the local council level and somewhere between 40% and 50% of water was utterly wasted running into the ground. I do not need to exaggerate. No resources were given to the experts on the ground who knew exactly where all the water leakages were. Instead, Uisce Éireann was set up so it could be used and abused when it suited the Government, rather than leaving it with the local authorities and resourcing them. That did not happen, so we are back here again. Rather than dealing in a positive way with the issue of how to bring everybody on board with water conservation, we are holding off the tide of mistrust. Quite clearly, Part 2 of the legislation allows the Government to bring in these charges, albeit in the guise of levies, thresholds and so on. People with medical problems, then, are reduced to appealing to Uisce Éireann. I do not do business that way. Water is a basic human right.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | 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.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As a founding member of the Right2Water campaign, I strongly support this Bill, the aim of which is to scrap any prospect of the reintroduction of water charges. I am proud of all those who protested against water charges in every town and city across the country in a magnificent display of people power. Residents who stood against the installation of water meters and in front of diggers and JCBs were real leaders in their communities. Time and time again, thousands of ordinary people from all walks of life brought the centre of our capital city, Dublin, to a standstill. People power won a magnificent victory. At the time, I wrote about and spelled out the nature of that victory, which was that people power had defeated the introduction of water charges, secured an amnesty for all those who refused to pay this unfair double taxation, got a refund for all those who had paid due to fear, stopped the continued metering of existing dwellings and got increased allowances for those on group water schemes. I went on, though, to warn that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Green Party could not be trusted. I stated:

Payment for excessive use to Irish Water Ltd. commodifies water. This facilitates the phasing back in of water charges over time. Government can reduce the free allowance thus making increasing amounts of water chargeable. This may also be used to prevent the holding of the anti-privatisation referendum or to change the wording as new private suppliers of water are entitled to enter the market under EU Competition Law. This was facilitated by [Fianna Fáil] agreeing with [Fine Gael] that the abolition of Irish Water [would not be within] the terms of reference of the Oireachtas Committee.

Recent reports that the Government is working in the background to reintroduce water charges by the back door, and the failure to hold the anti-privatisation referendum, prove the point. I thank former Deputy Joan Collins, in particular, for her tenacious pursuit of the anti-privatisation referendum. She was blocked at every hand's turn by successive Governments and now we know why.

The Government wants the option of privatising water and reintroducing water charges. Water is a human right and any attempt to reintroduce water charges will be met with opposition not just here in Leinster House but with a massive show of people power in every village, town and city in this country. I say to the Government to bí ullamh; ní neart go cur le chéile.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Aontú is completely opposed to water charges. I was proud to be the chair of the Meath Right2Water campaign that fought alongside men and women across the country to protect families from the worst excesses of water charges ten years ago. It is incredible that the Government is considering revisiting water charges. The Fine Gael and Labour Party Government that previously tried to introduce water charges squandered more than €1 billion trying to implement them. This included €550 million spent on the installation of water meters. It also included the conservation grant of over €94 million. We must not forget the €5 million used to administer refunding the water charges. That Fine Gael-Labour Party Government literally flushed hundreds of millions of euro in taxpayers' money down the drain. This was badly needed investment that should have gone into capital infrastructure.

For a Government to do something so stupid once is shocking, but for another Government to even consider repeating such a mistake is absolutely unforgivable. The major reason I have for being against water charges is simply ability to pay. In the 1780s, economists decided that one of the best ways to introduce a tax was to say that the more you earn, the more you pay. They created the idea of a progressive tax.

Here we are, nearly 250 years later, and Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents in government still do not seem to understand that key element. Water charges are ignorant of people's ability to pay. They are ignorant of family sizes and of disability. A person earning ten times more can pay the same in water charges as someone on a much lower income.

As the Minister will know, Aontú has been running a campaign against excessive Government waste for a number of months and as part of that campaign we have been putting in questions to the OPW. A recent reply we received from the OPW to parliamentary question we tabled stated that there was a nice heated swimming pool in Farmleigh. We asked how many times this swimming pool had been used and, of course, the Minister responsible for the OPW did not know. However, we then found out that Farmleigh only receives two delegations of visitors a year. We know that for 50 weeks a year Farmleigh is empty of its objective purpose, that is, to provide hospitality for delegations. For 50 weeks of the year, this heated swimming pool is not being used by anybody. This is an example of the Government's approach. It is largesse for the political establishment and it is charges and belt-tightening for citizens. It is incredible that the Government has squirrelled away vast sums of money in recent years while there are so many capacity constraints within Irish society. We hear the Government is looking to spend €10 billion piping water from the Parteen basin into Dublin at the moment. Currently, there is a 37% leakage rate from the pipes in Dublin. We are going to spend €10 billion piping water from the Parteen basin to allow 37% of that water just to disappear through leaks. It is absolutely wrong. The Government must desist.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am totally opposed to water charges. I was one of the people who protested very strongly against water charges at the time. The problem we have is that very little is recognised in this House regarding people who do pay for water. In agriculture, the farmers pay for water. I paid for three connections. My son is paying for it now because he is running the farm. It is a huge burden to farmers and they have to show responsibility. If there are leaks, they have to deal with the issue immediately. Where there could be a problem and where I could at least listen to the argument as to how we will stop it is that somebody in a housing estate, and no disrespect to people there, could turn on a tap and walk away because there is no responsibility as such. There has to be some bit of responsibility. There could be a leak and they might not bother or want to fix that leak.

We also have to look at businesses out there. How many businesses out there are paying water charges? They are paying rates, they are paying every such thing. I think a new charge was introduced recently if they have stools or chairs and tables outside their doors. As if to God they were not beaten down enough, that is another rate that these business people in the Cork County Council area are being hit with, on top of VAT and everything else. Some people out there are paying exorbitant amounts of money for water, but more are not. In a situation where people are paying huge money in property tax, carbon tax and every kind of tax going, the very least we can get in this country is free water. The Government is wrong here to oppose this Bill. It needs to take a long look back at the history of where the water charges went the previous time and the huge disquiet among the ordinary citizens of this country.

The quality of the water has to come into play too. Uisce Éireann is really quite questionable. We will be talking about wastewater treatment plants later this week but for now we are dealing with water. Deputy Ken O'Flynn was in this House only two weeks ago and he held up a glass of water from his constituency. You would not know was it a glass of Coke or what. It was certainly not a glass of clear water. It was scandalous to see the condition of the water there. There are an awful lot of issues and the public has no confidence in Uisce Éireann delivering. If the Minister expects the public will still pay for water while the service is not at its best by any manner or means, it has another thing coming. I would appreciate it if the Minister were to look at that. Basically, we need to look at repairing leaks. In Bantry there are continuous leaks. As soon as one pops, it pops all over the town and it leaves people in a very bad situation.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Is the Minister up for taking help from someone who is in the construction sector, who knows water and sewerage and knows how to fix and maintain them? Will he take my offer of helping him to save money and get more value for money? Will he take that offer? I can help him to save money on what he is giving Uisce Éireann and get more infrastructure in place with the same money. If he is open to taking help, that is what I can do for him, or does he think he is above taking help from somebody who worked all their life in this sector? I wish him well in his position. I do not trust his Department. I do not trust Uisce Éireann. I do not trust them for one reason: there is no accountability. I commend the Minister on what he is trying to achieve but, with all the best will in the world, if there is no accountability and value for money, what he will be doing for the next number of years is the same thing all over again.

I will give him one example of how we could save money from the likes of Uisce Éireann and get more value so we can fix some of the leaks we have around the place. I know some places that have had the same leak fixed 20 times. They would have the road or the pipe network fixed for the 20 call-outs they are paying someone to fix the same pipe over and over again. I recently did a small study on a sewerage plant. The capacity of any sewerage plant in this country is made up of, in a dry season, which is our summer, the capacity of the town or village multiplied by either three or four. I will work it into simple cubic metres for the Minister. The Croom plant has roughly 1,200 cu. m for storage. In a dry season it has between 250 cu. m and 300 cu. m to deal with sewerage but during the winter it is at maximum capacity, at 1,200 cu. m. That means the Minister and the taxpayer are paying for treating storm water. That is what we are treating rather than taking a simple solution which is to split the water network, have the storm water go to an interceptor and then to the rivers and have the sewerage go to the plant. That is how you can allow for more houses and infrastructure to be built in an area. That is a solution that can be put in place at a small cost for the fix. I can help the Minister there. I can go around and visit all the plants around the country, help the Minister and give him what he needs to take on Uisce Éireann and make it give him value for money. That is how I can help him. If he is willing to take up my offer, I will help him to deliver more for the people of Ireland.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Water is a fundamental right, which means that irrespective of income or means the water infrastructure should be funded through general taxation. In this context, I fully support and reiterate the calls of colleagues for a referendum on water infrastructure and ownership vested in the people of Ireland. It is a matter on which I have previously tabled motions when I was a councillor. However, there is another angle to look at. Today, Uisce Éireann sent out a warning about low water levels and asked people to conserve water. Like it or not, we have a leakage problem. We get massive amounts of rainfall at the wrong times and in the wrong places, causing flooding, but we have a scarcity of drinkable water. In that context, in line with so many countries around the world, the principle of paying beyond a fair reasonable allocation of water has already been set. There are numerous examples which I do not have time to discuss in the two minutes I have, but it has been done in multiple countries around the world. At the same time, there are issues. If you give a free allowance to people in a block of apartments, for example, but not to people in their own houses or people in group water schemes, who, as acknowledged, already pay, there will be a differential in terms of what people contribute.

I want to go back to the money back on bottles in the old days. The current scheme is not necessarily fit for purpose. You get 15 cent back on the small bottles but a lot of people out there still throw them on the ground. My young fella and a couple of lads I know from the GAA club were in Croke Park and picked up €30 worth of bottles that were just discarded.

If the deposit were 50 cent per small bottle - we should leave the bigger ones alone because there are issues with people who are recycling at home already - people would be incentivised not to throw those bottles on the ground. It would halve the litter problem overnight if there was a proper charge on those bottles.

Similarly in respect of water, we need to find a way to do this without penalising families or causing any sort of hardship. There are issues but we need to have an open and honest debate. We must accept the principle that once everyone has the fundamental right to water, there have to be behavioural incentives, rather than revenue-raising measures, to encourage people to conserve water. To me, it is pure and simple.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I too am glad to be able speak on the Bill. Ar an chéad dul síos, I wish to say that my company does work for Irish Water. We used to do it for county councils and it was then transferred over to Irish Water, which is an entity I do not have any faith in. It has no understanding of the serious problems we have.

As the previous speaker mentioned, water is going to be very scarce this year. We can see the rivers and streams are low so early in the year. There will be water outages and everything else but we need to tackle the waste of water by consumers and Irish Water. People ring up to try to report leaks. It is frustrating to see such big leaks. The wastage of water in this city is outrageous. More than 40% of the water is wasted. We are among the worst in the world for it. Some Third World countries are not as bad. The fact Irish Water is now going to pipe water from the River Shannon to Dublin is something I strongly oppose. It would be going up to a leaky system where the water can be contaminated. Anywhere the water can leak out, pollutants can leak back into the system. It is madness to think Irish Water would not look at doing those repairs. A golden opportunity was missed during Covid to do that kind of work when the streets and roads were quiet.

Irish Water says it wants more cash. Last night in Clonmel Park Hotel, my colleagues and I met a team from Clonmel who told us how they are bringing in water from Monroe. This is a hard water system, which the north of Clonmel already has, and the lime in the water from the borehole is crippling families and businesses. This borehole does not have an infinite life and is subject to outages because of power cuts. It was out for three or four days two months ago as a result of unexplained outages. Irish Water is spending €21 million to bring in this water and give it to all of the town of Clonmel.

The town of Clonmel has been serviced by the Glenary and Poulavanogue schemes. They are both based in County Waterford but that is how the system is set up; County Waterford is on the other side of the river. The Poulavanogue scheme was built by the British. It is an excellent and wonderful mountain stream supply. The treatment plant there was maintained for decades by Tommy Hartigan and other Tipperary council employees, or Clonmel corporation employees at the time. It was looked after and nourished. The supply flows down the hill into Clonmel. My office is on this supply, as is the whole centre of the town. That supply never had a boil water notice on it.

Irish Water now tells us now the EPA wants higher standards. The EPA wants ridiculously high standards. First, I would describe the disconnecting going on up there as an act of vandalism. It is a wonderful supply that should be kept. There is a reservoir in the Rag Well that Irish Water says is leaky and it is doing an examination on it. This could be filled from the scheme so as to have as an extra back-up. Irish Water is depending on a pump to pump all the water into Clonmel. It is going to pump it up to Giant's Grave to fill a reservoir that was constructed there some years ago, but we are depending on a pumping system. The businesses and households in Clonmel will not know what hit them when this water comes on stream in September or whenever Irish Water is going to connect it. It is doing all the facilitation works at the moment. The people of Clonmel will not know what hit them. There will be damage to all the equipment. We will see what will happen to kettles and other utensils, whatever about the fine machines and high-spec technical machines for cooking and baking - you name it - in all the restaurants, hairdressers and everything else. There will be enormous problems. Irish Water refused point blank to put in a softener at the plant, at source. It could do so as there is plenty of space for it, but it will not. It still expects businesses to pay for this water, however, and it is going to do damage. There are going to be unbelievable issues. That is apart from the fact we had a very wet summer in Clonmel last year but, all through the year, day-in, day-out, there were outages of the system, which was fed from three sources - Glenary, Poulavanogue and at Moyle Rovers at the north of the town. The Ardfinnan regional water scheme comes into the west of the town as well.

It is so hard to deal with Irish Water on the ground. Tipperary County Council, South Tipperary County Council and Clonmel Borough Council had a wonderful network of supervisors. They knew every pipe, stopcock and air valve. The lads in Irish Water do not to know and would not engage with people who were retiring. Some of the retiring workers told me that, six months before they left, they offered to show the people taking over where all the valves were and to help them to understand the network, but the lads in Irish Water said "No" to that offer. Now, with the representatives and everything else, you are talking to people who are doing their jobs but they do not know the system or where the weaknesses and strong points are. Fundamentally, they are not listening, and is mór an trua é. Níl siad ag éisteacht le héinne.

Last night, there were ten members of Irish Water who spoke to us for two hours about consolidation. That was the great word they used. They had all these buzzwords but I honestly have to say they do not understand what they are doing, and that is the fundamental problem. I have called numerous times for them to be stood down and responsibility given back to the county council.

Some Deputies might say I have gone away from speaking on the Bill. This is an issue to do with water. As Deputy Gogarty said, people should get a fair and reasonable supply of water and, after that, there should be a charge for what is wasted. At present, businesses are paying for water coming in and going out and it is not fair on them. They pay it - they have to pay it - and that is fine; they use a lot more of it. The situation is that water supply in many parts of the country, as well as the sewerage and wastewater systems, leaves an awful lot to be desired. The entity we know as Uisce Éireann is a failed one, set up by Phil Hogan, that has not served the public and I do not believe it will succeed.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for giving us the opportunity to talk about water, which is the most important item a community, population or country needs. All my life, I have worked with water services in Kerry County Council, as my father and my uncles did before me. My family are now involved in doing work for Irish Water in different places from time to time.

Water is very important. We know how angry people get about water charges. That has been dealt with and we have been told there is going to be no more water charges but the issue of the provision of water still remains. Whatever about charging for water, when people do not have water it is a serious issue. As I have mentioned already in the Chamber since the new Government was formed, this affects people in places such as Knight's Mountain in Lyracrumpane and Knocknagashel. Castleisland, which is a big town with many visiting tourists and business going on, can be very low on water at times when the pressure goes down. In Gneeveguilla and Scartaglin they cannot get group water schemes going. In any part of the county now, it is nearly impossible to get a group water scheme going because of the exorbitant cost residents are asked to pay. This is not on. People do not have money but they do need water and I feel we must do more to help those people. I am asking the Minister to ensure we help them. We we need much more water now that our population is growing in every direction. In every county and every town, we need more water.

Similarly, our infrastructure for wastewater treatment plants is totally obsolete and not there at all in many places. There are 38 settlements in Kerry without proper wastewater treatment plants. Some of them have none. Places like Caragh and Scartaglin do not have any wastewater treatment plant. There are several other places, such as Moyvane where you cannot build a house. This costs awful big money to bring these things up to scratch. Irish Water does not have any way or means of raising money and the Government has to realise it will need to give it the funds to ensure this is done. The Government talks about directing people into towns for housing but people out in the country are being prevented from building their own house and putting in their own little septic tank or whatever.

They are obliged to go into towns such as Killarney where the population is constantly increasing and there is more demand for wastewater treatment and for water infrastructure. In many places it has been 70 years. This man, Johnny, below me went down to Kerry to get a woman. We worked together day and night with his father-in-law and his brother, in order to keep the water going to such places as Sneem. I know what happens when people are out of water and the pressure they are under for all the things they need for daily life. Water is the basic commodity. The Government will have to do more. We will all have to put our shoulder to the wheel to ensure we have proper water infrastructure. It is going down; the pipes are obsolete in many places. It is the same with the sewage pipes and the whole system.

Not enough has been put in over the years and now it is coming to a head where a lot of money will have to be spent to bring these things up to scratch. It is going to cost money. Some funding model of the Government will have to ensure that money is provided, otherwise the country will grind to a halt because of the lack of water and wastewater treatment facilities. Many places do not have treatment plants. There are so many areas, such as 18 houses in one place in Knocknagoshel, that cannot get water. All their wells have gone rusty or whatever may be in them and the water is not fit to drink. Safe water is needed for children to ensure they grow healthily. Much infrastructure is needed. We must do something more as far as the group water schemes are concerned. They are not up to scratch and we are being asked to pay for too much. People would buy into a group water scheme. However, when we are asked to pay €45,000 or €65,000 to get the group water scheme going and get a grant, it does not match up and people cannot afford it. Thus we have people drawing water from supermarkets, which should not be the case in this day and age. I am asking the Minister of State to look at this because this is a serious issue. There is talk of bringing water from the Shannon to Dublin. Maybe they will do something about that. There are places a lot nearer without water. In other words, the Government will have to buck up to ensure that people have a proper water supply. It is a basic human right.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to contribute to this debate. I have watched it from the start. There have been many contributions. I say to Deputy Healy-Rae, if I may, that my wife has Kerry roots, albeit not quite first generation as her family is second generation. He would know the family.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

You did well there.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To deal with the topic at hand. As the Minister, Deputy Browne, has stated, we are opposing this Bill because the introduction of the household water conservation charge is not in the programme for Government. It will not be introduced. That is categorical.

By way of background, the legislation to implement water charges was contained in the Water Services Act 2014, which was repealed by the Water Services Act 2017. Therefore, there is no legal basis for the provision of water charges. They are the facts. Furthermore, within the Bill tabled by Deputy Ó Broin and Sinn Féin, it proposes to repeal Part 2 in its entirety. There are other elements to Part 2 that are beneficial, such as amending the Water Services Act 2007 to include An Fóram Uisce as one of the bodies to which the Minister can make grants out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. It also contains a provision for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to carry out a review to assess the rate of household demand for water services provided by Uisce Éireann.

If Part 2 was fully repealed, the Minister would no longer be able to give grants to An Fóram Uisce, which would impact its ability to function. It would also take away the need for the commission for regulation to assess household demand and it would limit the data available for consideration by the water conservation working group, which the Minister, Deputy Browne, intends to establish shortly to advise him, as Minister, on a future strategy for water conservation.

However, it is a common theme here tonight that the conservation of water is a key policy provision for everyone. It is a key policy provision for the Government in regard to water policy particularly for the long term. Safe, reliable and high quality drinking water is a precious resource. Experience to date has shown that there is a strong willingness on the part of citizens and communities to embrace conservation measures for the greater public good. The real challenges in conservation terms lie in eliminating leakages and wastage as far as practicable and effective management of water resources and service capacity. We are all agreed on that.

The Water Services Policy Statement 2024-2030, which was published in February 2024 following its approval by the Government, sets out a series of high-level policy objectives across the three thematic areas of availability and reliability, safety and quality and sustainability, which must be pursued when planning capital investment and framing current spending plans. The policy statement supports the promotion of water conservation and water resource management as an important element of water services policy. For the period of the policy statement, this will involve the prioritisation of multifaceted programmes around leakage detection and repair, network improvements, public awareness campaigns and funding to fix customers' side leaks.

Every day we currently lose about 37% of the treated water through leaks before it even reaches our taps. Leaks can be difficult to find because they happen in the vast and complex network of pipes below ground. Many of them are now old or damaged and need to be repaired or replaced to improve our water quality and supply. As part of the national leakage reduction programme, Uisce Éireann works with local authorities throughout the country to repair bursts and fix underground leaks. Its leakage reduction crews are working hard to find and fix leaks nationwide to provide a more reliable water supply. I note the acknowledgement by everyone of the work done on the ground by staff working with both Irish Water and local authorities in this area. Despite the challenges, Uisce Éireann is making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46% and by the end of 2022, four years later, it was 37%. Uisce Éireann has saved millions of litres of drinking water daily and is on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% and to save a further 200 million litres of water daily by the end of 2030.

The free fix scheme is available to domestic or mixed-use customers with a confirmed leak on the external supply pipe. The scheme aims to help to reduce the amount of water wasted through leaks on customers’ properties. Uisce Éireann estimates that more than 208 million litres of water per day have been saved as a result of this scheme to the end of 2022. The Department and the Minister, Deputy Browne, will continue to work with Uisce Éireann, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and An Fóram Uisce to ensure that effective water conservation arrangements are reflected in the ongoing investment plans and connection policies.

Many made reference to the rural side. The policy statement also extends to rural and privately-provided water services. The Government also has a plan for the long term and it does not include the introduction of the household water conservation charge. The conservation work group will be doing work in that area and will bring it to the Minister. The Government is committed to providing substantial funding to Uisce Éireann to deliver on its mandate. The national leakage reduction programme includes investment of some €250 million every year over the next five years under the find and fix repair scheme and the water mains rehabilitation programme. The Government accepts that sustained investment is needed to ensure the upgrade and repair of the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure and to support economic growth in the years to come.

The programme for Government commits to funding Uisce Éireann’s capital investment plan. In this regard, the Uisce Éireann funding plan for 2025 to 2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out capital and operational costs expected to be incurred by Uisce Éireann over a multi-annual period and how these costs can be recovered. The strategic funding plan for 2025 to 2029 has a total funding requirement of €16.9 billion, of which €12.1 billion is voted Exchequer funding in terms of Uisce Éireann. The strategic funding plan has a capital investment requirement of €10.2 billion, of which €9.8 billion is voted Exchequer funding.

To meet increased housing targets, Uisce Éireann will require addition funding on top of the strategic funding plan over the next five years, which would be ring-fenced for housing and growth. The programme for Government also commits to investing additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We will prioritise water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages. This additional funding will be considered as part of the NDP review, which is due to be completed in the middle of the year. This overall commitment is reflected in budget 2025 with funding for Uisce Éireann of more than €2.2 billion, which includes €514 million of the €1 billion equity investment announced by the Minister for Finance in budget 2025. This investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine areas.

Sinn Féin has brought forward a Bill, which we are opposing. We have laid out the grounds for opposition. The introduction of the household water conservation charge is not in the programme for Government. That is the Government position. Elements in Part 2 make a big contribution in how we deal with water. Fundamentally, it is all about getting that data. If Part 2 were repealed, An Forám Uisce could not longer be funded by the Government. This Part provides that the CRU should carry out a review to assess the rate of household demand. It would not be able to carry out its work either and we need that raw data. We are not introducing a water conservation charge. The public is aware of that. It is very much in the programme for Government. What Sinn Féin is trying to do here is give the impression it might be happening but it is not happening. It will not happen under this Government. We want to continue with the work of considering water conservation in the round and more particularly, dealing with leaks, getting infrastructure through Uisce Éireann to ensure we have sustainable provision to our citizens without charge for domestic customers and dealing with water as a precious commodity we want to deliver to the public.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The anti-water charges movement was one of the largest opposition movements this State witnessed in modern times. Citizens from different backgrounds and of different ages came together, said "No" to this unjust tax and took to the streets in their hundreds and thousands. Even the 2016 Fianna Fáil manifesto committed to abolishing Irish Water and ending water charges. The Government of the day was forced to concede defeat on that occasion and has been biding its time to get water charges in through the back door.

Just like on neutrality, Fianna Fáil has become converts to Fine Gael policy when it comes to water charges. We are still losing one third of our treated water straight into the ground because the water infrastructure has not being brought up to scratch. More than ten years on, Irish Water is still wasting more water than any person ever could. To even discuss excessive use charges when Irish Water states on its website that 37% is lost through leakage is bonkers. The State is seeking to place a burden on householders once again when the State and Irish Water have failed. If the Government were serious about water conservation, it would fund Irish Water properly to accelerate its own leakage reduction programme.

Sinn Féin wants leaking water pipes repaired, direct investment in infrastructure and the roll-out of clean water across the State. Householders also want greater clarity regarding who is liable and who is responsible when it comes to ongoing sewage problems near their homes. The council says it is Irish Water and Irish Water says it is the other way round. If the Government has no intention of introducing excessive use charges, why not support the Sinn Féin Bill and remove the provision from the Water Services Act? Sinn Féin has been clear on the issue. Excessive use charges constitute a pretext for water charges.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Lack of water supply is an issue affecting residents across the country and my constituency of Meath West, particularly in Enfield, Clonard, Ballivor, Trim and surrounding areas. These communities face ongoing water outages that simply cannot be ignored. The Clonard Water Action Group has reached out to me highlighting that more than 300 residents are dealing with daily water shortages and outages relying on water tankers to supply a pumping station. This is something I have highlighted since first being elected to the Dáil in 2020. Recently I received the latest water quality report from the EPA on water supply in Clonard and the wider area. While this report has yet to be published, the findings are deeply concerning. Under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023, the EPA is responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of our drinking water. The audit revealed critical deficiencies in Uisce Éireann's performance, particularly in disinfection processes and the resilience of the Abbeyfields water treatment plant. The report calls for immediate action, including investigations into the chlorination system and measures to enhance the plant's capacity. We need to ensure the water leaving our treatment facilities meet safety standards. Without improvements, the health and well-being of our constituents is on the line.

We all know we need more housing but if infrastructure such as water treatment or wastewater treatment plants are not fit for purpose and cannot cope with increasing demand, this will affect housing supply. That has happened in many towns and villages across Ireland holding up housing developments. We need investment in water services through general taxation or Apple's €14 billion, which the Government did not want to take.

While communities in Meath struggle to get basic water services, the Government parties are quietly pushing for the introduction of water charges. If they tell the people of Meath it is charging for water, they will tell them where to go. The ongoing outages over the years in Enfield, Clonard, Ballivor and Trim further illustrate that this is not just a localised issue. It is a widespread problem. If the Government truly intends to abandon water charges, why does it not show its commitment by supporting the Sinn Féin Bill that would eliminate any possibility of charging for water? The people of Meath West are tired of unreliable water services and the threat of being charged for the privilege of receiving water that should be a basic human right. Many people go home after a long day's work to find they cannot shower or even make a cup of tea due to their water being turned off on a regular basis.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted on this issue. Their history suggests that they may seek to reintroduce charges under the guise of excessive use. This legislation must be scrapped once and for all to protect our communities. Moreover if the Government genuinely wishes to keep our water services in public ownership, a referendum is needed to assure residents that the water network will not fall into private hands. If the Government is worried about excessive water use, it should fix the broken pipes and all the leaks across the country.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is a contradiction at the heart of the Minister's response to the debate. On the one hand, he said that he has no intention of introducing a charge for so-called excessive use but when we gave him the opportunity to demonstrate that by deed and by removing the relevant provisions of the legislation, he refused to do so. Here is the genuine problem. Many people watching this debate will reach the conclusion that the Minister may not have an intention to introduce any form of water charges at this time but he wants to keep his options open and he wants to keep it on the Statute Book. That is the core of the problem. That is why people do not trust the Minister or his Government colleagues on this issue and that is why we have tabled this legislation.

He also accused us of wasting time. I do not mind him dismissing us. I am quite used to being dismissed by Members on that side of the House. However, when he uses that language in this important debate, he is also dismissing whether intentionally or otherwise the tens of thousands of people out there who when they read that article in the Irish Independent were genuinely deeply concerned that "oh no, here we go again. The Government is at it". I am not accusing the Minister of dismissing those people but that is what people will hear when he chooses that language.

He is right; there are some technical issues with our Bill. I make this point every time I introduce a Private Members' Bill. I do not have a team of civil servants. I do not have the luxury of expert drafting but those technical issues could be resolved by way of friendly amendments from the Government on Committee Stage without any problem and we would not object to that. The real issue is that the Minister does not want to remove this provision.

I also thought it was very telling that the Minister introduced a new phrase into the debate. Both the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, talked about a water conservation charge. That is not what is in the legislation and, as he knows, that is not the language that was in the 2018 report of the committee on the future funding of water services. In fact, the very proposition of a charge for so-called excessive use was not even in the conservation chapter of that report. The whole debate about a charge was in the context of compliance with the water services directive. There was a view, which we disagreed with, that in order to comply with the directive there had to be some form of charge. It is very telling that nowhere in the very detailed chapter 5, with its recommendations, was there any talk of a charge. This is because the charge for so-called excessive use is not a conservation measure, given that there is no evidence from Irish Water or elsewhere that the 10% of households that have larger-than-average uses of water are wilfully wasting water. In fact, I suspect many of them are pensioners living in very old homes with old water systems who do not have the money to upgrade them or people who bought Celtic tiger-era defective homes with significant leakages.

The Minister claimed that the Government had recommended the key recommendations of chapter 5 of the report. As somebody who drafted those and argued tooth and nail to get them into the report, I challenge him to say that is not the case. Let me correct the record. The Minister said on the one hand that there was the national leakage programme. That was in place before we made the report. We wanted that to be increased and accelerated. That has not happened. The Minister said the report called for the keeping of the first fix free scheme. That is not what the report says. We want it expanded to include the possibility of doing works within the curtilage of private property where the owners did not have the financial means to do so. He talked about awareness promoting through the funding of An Taisce. That programme has been in place since 2013. What we called for was in addition to existing programmes. The Minister also failed to mention some of the most important recommendations of chapter 5, those being, changes to planning, building control and greater supports for people who want to retrofit their own homes to have greater water conservation. Almost every one of the substantive recommendations of that report have been ignored by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments. For the Minister to come here and read out a note from his officials to claim otherwise is unacceptable.

I will turn to the big threats. The Minister is right that we have very significant threats but that does not diminish the importance of this issue in the context of a cost-of-living crisis where some of those threats could result in increased cost-of-living pressures. What are the real threats facing our economy and our society? Over the weekend, Davy stockbrokers complained that the impact of failed Government housing policy on our economic competitiveness was a bigger threat than Trump’s tariffs. I am not saying I agree with that but that is what it said. Today, myhome.ie and Bank of Ireland are saying the way in which this Government has pushed house prices to extraordinary highs means we have an additional layer of vulnerability if the tariffs introduced wrongly by Donald Trump have the impact many of us expect. One of the reasons we are all so concerned about those tariffs is that the way in which Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have managed the economy for decades has left us over-reliant on one economic sector in terms of growth and, particularly, tax revenue. We are more vulnerable to the impact of tariffs, and counter-tariffs if they are got wrong, than many of our competitors. We should debate those issues, but we should also debate this, too. The fact that the Government has taken a decision to oppose the Bill despite the fact that the Minister says it has no intention of introducing such a charge leaves the question open: what has it really got planned? That is why the people do not trust the Government. That is why we were right to table this Bill and the Government was wrong to oppose it.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 8 April.