David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I oppose this amendment because it is insufficiently prescriptive. We have had this conversation on a few occasions. This amendment provides that a "water charges plan shall specify .... the manner and method by which charges under section 17 shall be calculated". Who will calculate the charge? It will not be the Oireachtas. As far as I can see, it will be the commission. The amendment also provides that each plan shall specify "the costs likely to be incurred by Irish Water in the performance of its functions under this Act". I just do not think it is good that we will pass this Bill without knowing how the charge will be calculated.

The proper thing to do would be for the Oireachtas to set out how the charge will be calculated and the ability to pay element we think should be included. We are opposed to the charge. Notwithstanding that and given that the Government is going to impose it, we should try to mitigate the worst excesses of water charges, particularly for those on low incomes. All this amendment does is allow the commission and the economic and technical specialists, as the Minister of State said, to make these determinations. The Minister of State said in a number of replies relating to this issue that we can bring Irish Water and even the commission to the Oireachtas committee to discuss and tease out all these issues. We will do that so the Minister of State can take that for granted. All of us from both the Government and Opposition sides will have a lot to say when that happens. What we are saying is that we can be much more prescriptive in advance of that and set down very clear guidelines and criteria as to what the commission should do before it introduces charges, the way charges are calculated and the protection that should be built in because we are elected to ensure people are protected, particularly those on low incomes. They are the people for whom we are most fearful in respect of water charges. We fear they will be the ones who will be disproportionately affected. I cannot support any of the amendments - amendments Nos. 40, 41 or 43 - and I will be pushing all three to a vote.