Seanad debates

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage

 

12:25 pm

Photo of Caít KeaneCaít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House for this very important debate on the establishment of Irish Water and the water measures announced recently by the Minister, Deputy Kelly. We are here for what I hope will be a very rational and calm discussion on the very important issue of how we will ensure we have a safe, clean and adequate supply of water to serve the country's needs in the years to come. To ensure we have a customer-centred focus, the Government has listened to the people and committed to establishing a public forum on a statutory basis to ensure that from now on, everybody will have an input on how safe, clean and adequate water is provided.

Fear of the unknown and uncertainty led to many of the problems we have faced in the establishment of Irish Water, particularly the uncertainty about affordability. The Government has listened and this has been addressed. I compliment the Minister on this.

The Bill provides for introduction of a water conservation grant of €100. This is aimed at enabling people to purchase water-saving devices and will ease the burden. I am always harping on about water harvesting and perhaps the Minister will go down this road another day. The Minister has outlined the affordable charges of €60 per year for a single household and €160 for others. This is €1.15 or €3 per week, which is quite affordable. We are considered a green and clean nation and we want to ensure we remain so. Everybody in Ireland should consider this when considering water and pollution. We have much to offer. A total of 950,000 people have recognised this and have signed up to Irish Water. There are two months to go before the deadline and I ask people to consider every aspect. I believe in paying for water. I believe in having a clean supply. I, more than many, suffered at the doors in Dublin South-West. I listened to the people, and the issue of uncertainty was raised at many doors. This has now been addressed.

The neglect of our water infrastructure has been absolutely disgraceful. Celtic tiger, how are you. We should have invested then. We do not have the choice now. It should have been done long ago. We should have invested in our water infrastructure. The question is how we fund it now. The Government has turned the country around from going to the wall. It is now taking on the responsible attitude of funding water. The solution for those on the left is to raise taxes on working people, not on rich people but on working people earning the average industrial wage. A total of €600 million must be invested annually in water to ensure we have a clean supply. It must also be kept off the books to ensure we reach the troika target of a 3% deficit by the end of the year. With regard to Fianna Fáil and the troika-----

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.