Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo Senator Bacik on last night’s adoption Bill. Senators Power, van Turnhout and Healy Eames did this House a great service and were ably supported on the Government side by Senators Burke, Maloney, Brennan and others. I did detect, however, a distinct lack of enthusiasm by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I hope Members on the Government side will ensure this Bill comes back to the House. The last Private Members’ Bill we had on prohibiting smoking in cars with young people disappeared for two and a half years before it appeared back in the House in much the same form as it was presented in the first instance by Senators Crown and Quinn.

I welcome yesterday’s changes to the water charges. However, we still have the problems highlighted in the report of the local government efficiency review group, headed by Mr. Pat McLoughlin, as well as the fact Irish Water is seriously overmanned. The McLoughlin report called for 30% fewer county managers, 15% fewer city managers, 10% fewer planning staff, 15% fewer directors of services and 10% fewer of corporate services staff. All of these staff were put into Irish Water, however, which has burdened it with costs which the people said they could not afford in their demonstrations.

There is also no evidence of economies of scale. The one big organisation argument does not hold up. Leitrim has a much lower rate of wastewater than larger counties. The Government’s fascination with doing things off the balance sheet is economic hocus-pocus. The next time an accountant says this in Government Buildings, he should be shown the door.

At yesterday’s transport and communications committee, what has been called the next Irish Water, postcodes, was discussed. Up to 98% of post in this country is delivered the next day by An Post, a remarkable achievement on which I compliment the organisation. The independent postal providers used Sat Nav. A postcode system is being considered which has risen in costs from €15 million last year to €24 million in April and to €27 million yesterday. The prospect of a €50 million cost has been raised with some believing it could head to €80 million. It does not seem to do anything and there has been no cost-benefit analysis. Members of all parties on the transport committee are seriously concerned that this is an out-of-control project. What are the benefits if 98% of post is delivered the following day? What does one get for expending these large amounts of money? Why has the cost-benefit analysis not been supplied to this House, as the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, said he would do in July?