Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have already been on record to state that I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in the CER. How can anyone have faith in the CER when everyone's income is going down, yet it allowed the ESB to increase its electricity charges by 15% year-on-year over the last three years? That happened at a time when the average wage was reduced by around 35%. That is a crazy situation, yet we are giving the CER the blessing to decide on the charge consumers should pay for their water. It is flabbergasting.

Of course we can write to the National Consumer Agency and make a complaint but the simple answer will be that the agency cannot make a determination based on the manner in which the Irish Water legislation is written, the manner in which the company is established, and the manner in which the charging policy is established. In reality we are giving huge powers to a company that has not proven itself, but which has been established by this Government. It will be a massive quango operation to decide on the price of the water, to consult with the CER and to decide in what manner it sees fit to collect that money, irrespective of ability to pay.

All of this is being done in the ten days before Christmas when we hope Oireachtas Members are busy finishing constituency or other commitments. Members of the Dáil should be given an opportunity to debate this issue over a period of time. They represent the people