John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Can anyone explain to me how we can fix or replace lead pipes, stop pumping raw sewage into our rivers, streams and seas, replace 490,000 septic tanks, secure a sustainable water supply for this city, build new reservoirs and ensure a safe supply of water for companies like those attending the web summit about which we have been boasting without investing in a creaking Victorian infrastructure that is breaking at the seams or establishing an entity like Irish Water, one that is run properly and applies a fair and affordable water charge? It would be reckless and politically dishonest to try to fool people into thinking one could get that money without setting up Irish Water or applying a fair and affordable charge.