Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The issue here is not about charges; it is already agreed in principle that they will happen. The issue is about a sustainable level of investment in our water infrastructure and how we can modernise our country's Victorian system of water services in terms of some parts of the pipe network, the unaccounted for water, and the inability of local authorities throughout the country to get new synergies to cut their costs by having a regional or even a national approach to all these issues. It is about making Ireland attractive for inward investment and ensuring that companies like Intel will come to Ireland and invest here. It is about making sure that the water supply in cities like Cork, Waterford and elsewhere is improved. It is about stopping the era of contamination in the Senator's county, which experienced cryptosporidium problems that resulted in people in Galway being unable to drink the water from their taps for six months of the year. It is about getting rid of the problems in areas that currently have boil notices. It is about putting a structure in place that is dealt with by one body and done efficiently, effectively and properly. The Senator's arguments, notwithstanding that he continues to make them, are not tangible in terms of improving our economy or ensuring Ireland's future through inward investment in water intensive industries such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food and so on. This is a country in which such companies will invest because we will have the infrastructure to meet their needs.

Dublin has a significant problem in terms of water. Nobody knows that better than the current county manager of Dublin, who is quoted in the newspapers today, and the former county manager of Dublin who just happens to be the chief executive of Irish Water. They know exactly the problems. They are involved in all the discussions. I make the point strongly that it is not as if the managers do not know what is going on. The facts are that the consultative group does not have one manager on it; it has two. The City and County Managers Association is involved in every aspect of these changes and proposals and anybody who believes otherwise is not living in the real world.

The question the Senator raises is not the real question. We must have the proper system in place, and that is what we intend to do. I have the vision and the commitment to bring about that change, notwithstanding the difficulties. The Senator asked why I cannot tell him what will be the charges. I can tell him the way the figures will be computed, that they will be discussed in a transparent manner and put out for public debate. The Oireachtas must have a debate on that. I can tell him that the water services plan must and will be discussed by each local authority. This is being done in a democratic fashion. There is total transparency and accountability about everything we are doing here and as I pointed out yesterday and reiterate now, Members of the Oireachtas, be they in government, in opposition or Independents, have an important role because they can bring everybody before the committees to account, starting with me, the Minister, the officials of the Department, the Regulator, and the representatives of Irish Water. That is where we will see that accountability and transparency. The Senator has a right and a duty to bring people before those committees and to ensure he is satisfied, before a bill is sent to anybody's house, that he has full knowledge in terms of every aspect of his concerns.

What we are doing here is creating the framework for calculating the charge. Currently, there are 34 separate systems for calculating, billing and collecting water charges. I stand corrected if I am wrong but in Wicklow it is €3.50 per metre cubed compared to half that in Kildare. There are different charges for water in different local authorities across the country. We have to address that problem and ensure there is one charge for domestic consumers and that there is a converging of charges for commercial consumers over a period of years. That is what the Commissioner for Energy Regulation will be doing.

Work is under way on consolidating the financial and charging structures that will feed into the development of the first water charges planned by Irish Water. Part of that process is examining what the plans will be, what will be done in the first and second phases, the outstanding liabilities and commitments, what the Environmental Protection Agency wants, what needs to be improved, the health and safety issues, what the consumer can bear, and what the company can raise privately. All of those issues have to be considered before a figure is decided upon.

The Government is committed to continuing to invest in the infrastructure. There will be a free allowance for every household. There will also be affordability measures for people who have a need for-----