Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after "January 2012" and substitute the following:

"— and believing that water is a valuable and precious natural resource which needs to be carefully conserved;

— believing also that there is a significant need for investment in water infrastructure as a matter of urgency;

— considers that the €500 million which will be spent on installing such meters would be better spent on improving our water supply system, given that as much as 58% of treated water across the country is wasted through broken pipes before it reaches dwellings;

— is opposed to the introduction of new stealth taxes such as water charges and a flat rate domestic charge, which will have no effect other than to reduce the spending power of those on low incomes, and take money out of the real economy;

and

— condemns the disproportionate affect a flat rate household charge will have on low to middle income families and is concerned that such a proposal will push many more families into poverty.

Beidh mise ag moladh leasú ar an rún. Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom míle fáilte a chur roimh an Aire. Guímis gach rath air ina chuid cúramaí nua mar Aire. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil cúramaí móra air.

Bheinn buíoch dá bhféadfainn nóiméad a thógáil le buíochas faoi leith a ghabháil leis an Aire maidir le fógra a rinne sé inné a bhaineann le cúrsaí uisce, is é sin scéim réigiúnach uisce Chasla in gConamara. Táimid ag fanacht leis an scéim sin le beagnach 30 bliain. Is iomaí Rialtas a tháinig agus a d'imigh agus nár cheadaigh an scéim siúd. Throid muintir Chonamara go láidir le go mbeadh uisce glan againn agus le go bhféadfaimís ár gcuid páistí a ní, an t-uisce a ól agus ár gcuid gnóithí a dhéanamh i gceart. Is mór an lear go dtáinig an cinne inné, go bhfuil an scéim sin ceadaithe agus gur féidir dul chun cinn leis. Is é an trua gur thóg sé 30 bliain orainn teacht chomh fada leis seo.

I thank the Minister for his announcement yesterday relating to the Casla regional water scheme, which is pertinent to today's debate. We have been waiting for the scheme for 30 years. The Connemara communities in which we live have not been able to drink the water or use it to bathe our children for almost 30 years. The pressure to introduce the scheme arose because the State was not fulfilling its obligations under the EU water directive. I thank the Minister for rubber-stamping the scheme but it is indicative of the state of water in Ireland that people have to fight for a basic utility to which they have a right.

Sinn Féin moves the amendment to the motion because we reject the proposal to introduce household water charges. There is an obligation on the Government to clarify its intentions at the earliest opportunity, in which regard I welcome the Minister's statement. It needs to explain the nature of the charge and how the rates and allocations will be calculated for families and households. We tabled the amendment because we believe other issues arise in addition to those outlined in the motion and we desire to bring them to the notice of the Seanad.

We fully understand the vital nature of water and water provision. Water is a valuable and precious natural resource which needs to be carefully conserved. We recognise that it can on occasion be a scarce resource and while we have had some difficulties in regard to water shortages in this country, its scarce nature is even more apparent abroad. There is no argument that we need to implement measures to ensure we do not waste this valuable resource but it is lazy and Illogical to assume that this automatically validates the case for water charges. It Is not sensible, fair or necessary to insist on making the citizens of this country pay twice for this essential service. We maintain that a more sensible and just remedy is available to us.

I ask Senators to consider two alternative scenarios. We could introduce water charges to domestic dwellings and spend €500 million on installing water meters in all Irish homes. We can thus double charge all the households in the country for a service that they have enjoyed, and ought to enjoy, as a right. We would thereby inflict further hardship upon families who are already struggling as a result of reduced wages and welfare payments, the appalling universal social charge and services which are falling apart. In short, we can push many more families over the brink to greater poverty. Alternatively, we could look at our water provision infrastructure. We could decide that our leaky water system is the problem given that 58% of our water supply is wasted through leaky and damaged pipes before it even reaches our homes. The €500 million cost of putting water meters in place in 1.1 million homes would be better spent on fixing this leaky infrastructure, without hitting the least well-off yet again.

Given the choice between these scenarios, it is clear that a sensible or community minded person would choose the latter. It is more equitable by far to fix the pipes than to introduce charges. Some will argue, bizarrely, this does not make sense and that a €500 million investment in water meters makes perfect sense. It is not solely our view that the economic sense of improving our water infrastructure is clear. The local government review group advises that active leak management is more than self-financing. It would offer additional benefits because an improved water infrastructure system would help to prevent the type of difficulties we faced in the recent cold winters or the public health problems that arose in Galway and elsewhere on foot of the cryptosporidium outbreak in 2007. Improving our water provision infrastructure is an investment that will stand to us for years to come. Water charges will do nothing except heap further misery on our citizens and create economic hardship, as my colleague Senator David Cullinane will explain. I ask Senators to consider this prospect and to support our amendment.

Cuir síoda ar ghabhar agus is gabhar i gcónaí é. This evening's debate highlights that seanfhocail. We have seen the before and after scenarios of the Government and its predecessor but the policies they have put forward are equally unfair to those on lower incomes and those who are struggling with the range of charges that have been introduced as a result of the EU-IMF bailout. If meter charges are to be accompanied by a free allocation, I ask the Minister to clarify how the allocation will be calculated on a fair and equitable basis, whether it will take into consideration unemployment levels, particularly in rural areas where the water infrastructure is of a lower standard than in urban areas, and how it will be affected by the universal social charge and the health levies that are hammering poor families. Sinn Féin opposes water fees, whether in the form of metering or a flat charge, because the people of the country have a right to basic services such as water regardless of their background or economic situation.