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

Perhaps I did not make the issue clear. I will try to clarify it again. The legislation is like a framework for what will happen. Addressing the questions of how Irish Water will operate, what it will do in people's counties and how the regulator will make its decision and compute costs - the regulator is on record as saying it wants to engage proactively - is the role of an Oireachtas committee. Committees are made for these types of investigation, analysis, transparency and accountability. They will do the work and make the recommendations. Obviously, the Senator has an important role in challenging each recommendation.

The problem with improving the water supply is that a significant amount of the unaccounted for water is on the customer's side, for example, inside the garden fence. Metering will identify those leakages and reduce them by at least 15% overall. It is not regressive that people should pay for their water. It is right, proper and fair that the more one uses, the more one pays. People who are sick or on low incomes must be addressed through affordability measures. Everyone will have a basic allowance. There are incentives to reduce water usage and capital costs in that, if water is saved, the same amount of capital will not be necessary for treatment and pumping. I am confident that important new synergies will be created as a result of Uisce Éireann's establishment.

The Senator should not lose sight of one thing, that up to 1,700 people will be employed during the metering process. These will be real jobs for real people. They will be sustainable and important for a short period. There are many pluses to what we are doing.