John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

However, all we have ever paid for through our taxes is the maintenance of a broken system. Since the establishment of Irish Water, I have never seen as much activity in my county, Roscommon, where 20,000 people are on boil water notices. In Boyle and Ardcarn, where 6,000 people are affected, the system has been fixed and the plant is now in operation, all in the space of a number of months. In Castlerea, a new treatment plant is expected to be completed this month. In Killeglan, where more than 15,000 people are affected by boil water notices, the works are expected to be completed in January 2015. Those in the north-east Roscommon water supply scheme are also subject to a boil water notice. This is expected to be rectified by August of next year. In Cam and Kilteevan, the works are expected to be completed in May 2015. The boil water notices affecting the Arigna scheme are expected to be lifted in May 2015. This is all happening as we speak in Roscommon. It never happened before. In my seven years on Roscommon County Council, I have never seen anything like what is happening now. This is purely because of the establishment of Irish Water, nothing else.

I was flabbergasted listening to Senator Walsh. He is against paying for water but made sure he told the Minster that once water charging is brought in, he or any future Minister should desist from abolishing them for political purposes. He does not want water charges but does not want them ever removed when introduced.