Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is about time I had the protection of the Chair. Since my days on Clare County Council I have believed that water should be paid for. It is a resource which many people in the Third World would love to have in abundance but unfortunately do not. In this country we have water in abundance but unfortunately it is not purified. It costs a significant amount of money to purify water. Purifying water costs the country an average of €1.2 billion every year, of which €600 million is wasted. To eliminate waste and create a respect for water, with which most of our citizens would agree, introducing a charge is appropriate.

We need to focus on the conservation of water. Most of us here have gone canvassing over the years and have spent many days, months and years knocking on doors. If one goes to the back door of the majority of houses one will see taps dripping. This is a clear example of where water conservation does not work. Apart from embracing water charges we need to engage in a serious educational programme of water conservation and advise people on how they can conserve water. By conserving water we will drive down the cost for everybody. We know that €600 million of the €1.2 billion spent purifying water is wasted but there is probably much more. To prevent the vast majority of this water being leaked we need to create an investment programme. The idea of having a domestic water charge, criticised and all as it is, is to facilitate Irish Water to raise money on the bond markets so it can engage in a substantial investment programme to re-equip areas which have pipes which date back decades. In each area where the pipes are upgraded we will see a dramatic reduction in water leakage.

The meter programme is appropriate and should happen. While the flat charge will prevail until 2019, and probably beyond, the metering infrastructure should be used to build intelligence and find out the location of the leaks. It is totally unfair if house No. 27 pays for water, conserves water and is in control of water while No. 28 is the exact opposite. The only way this can be identified, improved upon and acted on is if we have intelligence from the meters. The meter installation problem should continue until every house in the country is metered and we are in a position to gather intelligence and act on it. I have no doubt that pockets of the country have significant leaks, and if this is the case investment will have to be made. People in areas which do not have leaks should embrace the conservation project.

This project is in its infancy. By 2025 we will have a completely different environment with regard to water. The water will be fit to drink, blackspots in the country will have been dealt with and rectified and people will appreciate why they should pay for water and will do so. I hope that in 15 years time our water quality will be on a par with best international practice. This is what all of us who believe in the principle of paying for water want to see. We want to see a natural resource which is fit for consumption. We do not want to see examples such as Roscommon.

I wish the Minister and the Minister of State well with the Bill and with the help of God it will pass and we will see a fairer discourse and narrative on paying for water.