Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It relates to the Minister of State's talk of the figures not adding up. I go back to the charges and the money being brought in and the money going out. We have had the €1.2 billion figure that it costs to provide water. The Minister of State needs to clarify how much the Government expects to collect in water charges and how much of that will be spent on capital investment to fix places such as Oughterard, Carraroe, Inis Oírr, Kinvara, Ballinasloe and Ballyconneely. We as a rural community are well used to dealing with national organisations. For example, when it comes to roads, we are always left on the hind teat when it comes to getting stuff in the most peripheral rural areas. It is bad enough with the local authorities trying to get things done in rural areas. Once we will be working with a national organisation such as Uisce Éireann, how can we be confident that we will see the necessary investment?

On the figures given by Senator Barrett, there is a €1 billion shortfall. How much of that will be collected through the water charge? How much of the shortfall will be divided over the households that can pay for it?

Another important issue has been brought up again by Senator Gilroy and it is important to nail this. In May 2007, devolution was restored to the Assembly in the North and we in Sinn Féin succeeded in reversing the British direct rule proposal to introduce double the household water charges and the privatisation of water and sewerage services when the Assembly supported the appointment of Mr. Conor Murphy MP.