Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are talking about the future. There are people out there who do not agree that we should be paying for our water and there are people who say we should pay for what we use. The past system was disgraceful, fragmented and disjointed with all the various county councils around the country. There was no unification whatsoever. People say they have already paid for water in their general taxation and ask why they should pay for it again. If the people have been paying for it in their taxes all these years, how come previous Governments have failed to deliver a proper water system? Our treatment plants, the hundreds and thousands of kilometres of pipes all around the country, with people still boiling water and still wasting water, are an absolute disgrace.

I lived in America for about 20 years and travelled the world a lot. When my friends in the US hear there are thousands of people protesting because they have to pay water charges, they are stunned we do not pay for water in Ireland and want to know how come. They just cannot understand it. I think there are only two countries in the OECD that do not pay for water. This is a serious cultural and behavioural change for the future in people's habits and the way we use our water. This is a new way, a new structure, and I support the Minister and his Bill. I do not believe there is anything to fear for the people of Ireland. Most of the fear is coming from the scaremongering that is going on. I believe Irish Water will be a success and we have to give it a chance. When water is under the bridge a decade from now and all this is clear, we will have clean, safe delivered water and people will forget about this debate. We need a proper water system and Irish water will deliver.