David Norris (Independent)

That is ridiculous. I hope that it will be avoided in this case and I will support the Minister in fighting that should it come around.

It is astonishing that more than 50% of the money due from businesses is not collected. Some of the heaviest users of waters are in the distilling industry. They use massive volumes of water in the distillation of whiskey and if they are among those who do not pay, there is no excuse because they are part of multinational operations and they are successful. Jameson used to be an Irish company and it is the fastest growing whiskey brand in the world.

It is the responsibility of government to make sure water is drinkable. To have had non-potable water in a city such as Galway is appalling and it is damaging for the tourism trade. It was not fair on the citizens who had to buy significant volumes of imported bottled water over the past two years. That is wrong and it had an impact on the tourism trade. If there are breaks in the water supply, hotels, guest houses and farm houses that take guests are seriously affected.

Whiskey translates as uisce beatha. We have uisce and everybody knows whiskey. I would be happy if the new board was called Uisce.