Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that the Government has listened to the people and to us public representatives, who contributed to the debate through our parliamentary parties and raised people’s various concerns. I regret that it took so long to resolve but setting up a utility of the size of Irish Water was never going to be simple.

I welcome the package the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, has announced, which most people consider to be fair, simple and affordable. It gives certainty to everybody for the next four years. It also guarantees affordability for the future and that Irish Water will never be privatised, unless the Irish people decide differently in the future.

I am particularly pleased that the water conservation grant of €100 will be paid to every household, including those which get their water from private group water schemes. These people have been paying for water for decades and I am glad the Government is acknowledging this and those who have invested in private wells and have ongoing costs to ensure a good water supply. I want to see Irish Water getting on with the job it was set up to do, to raise the finance to fund the infrastructural projects throughout County Galway and the entire country that have waited decades for investment.

If we want to create enough jobs to ensure that people remain working here we need a good, safe, reliable water and wastewater infrastructure. We need it too if we want to keep on attracting tourists. The Government still has a major job to do to rebuild the economy and I hope it can get on with dealing with the real issues now that the Irish Water situation has been dealt with effectively. I look forward to this country continuing to grow and prosper in the years ahead.