Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a recognition of affordability and it is designed to assist people. With regard to the general payment of water charges, I agree that there are two categories of people out there. There are those who have said clearly that they will not pay under any circumstances. Many of them can well afford to pay. There are those of whom I am very conscious who cannot pay and they are the ones that the Senator has spoken about. This utility, like any other, will have oversight from the Commission for Energy Regulation which acts at all times in the interest of the customer. It is the same as the situation with other utilities including Bord Gáis and the ESB whereby the customers' interests are protected through a customer charter and oversight of expenditure and operational costs. A lack of efficiencies, some of which have been recognised and in respect of which targets have already been set for Irish Water by the regulator, the utility will be obliged to act on foot of the regulator's instructions and to find those efficiencies within its structures. That is happening on behalf of the consumer. The CER has a very important role to play.
We have debated the matter ad nauseam, in particular section 3. For those who do not want to pay even though they can afford to, penalties will apply. I must state clearly that some Opposition Members held public meetings advising people not to pay the household charge or the property tax. Those same people then attracted liabilities and penalties and were deserted by the Opposition Members who advised them in that. That is not good political leadership. In government, we must make decisions. In government, we have certain resources and a certain budget we must spend as we see fit in the best interests of Irish citizens. We are introducing a model that is sustainable to invest in Irish Water to ensure that people have quality water over time, that cities like Dublin, Cork, Galway and Waterford have the capacity to serve the growing industries starting to come into the country, and to stop the raw sewage that is flowing out into our waters in 2014 in a modern economy. We all refer to the blue flags we would like to see on our beaches, but have chosen to neglect over many years to address the lack of infrastructure to treat that raw sewage and to provide for a modern economy and infrastructure of which we can all be proud.
Senator Cullinane asked me specifically about standing over my policies. I stand over every policy I make and every vote that I take. While I acknowledge the criticism we attract, I look at the long term. I hope my children and grandchildren will look back at history and see that this Government took responsible decisions, stood by our country when it needed to be stood by, brought it back from the brink of bankruptcy and invested in our economy again.