Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be helpful, I welcome what the Minister said about supports for people who cannot pay. The Minister has put on the record that there will be supports available through the community welfare officer. It is critical that the Bill will be poverty-proofed. Has the Minister tied that in with social protection and has the Minister for Social Protection agreed with that, or is the Minister at liberty to say this without consulting with the Minister for Social Protection since it would be a charge on her Department?

I did not vote for water charges last year because I learned that €1 billion came out of general taxation to pay for water. Some €490 million of that, or half a billion euro, is now going on a subvention to Irish Water. However, there is still half a billion, or €510 million, left. Where is that gone or going? How is the taxpayer being credited for that? This argument is being used by those who will not pay. To be fair, it is a reasonable question to ask. We need an answer to this. We can accept a lot in Ireland if we get answers. If we do not get answers, we dig in our heels and we get entrenched. That is the reason I did not vote for water charges last year. I got no answer to that basic question and I still have not got one. I want to know how that €510 million which is still being collected in taxes, that up to now was paying for water, is being credited to the taxpayer. It is taxpayers' money.

What is the contingency plan if Irish Water cannot collect or is not viable? Will it fall back on the Exchequer to keep it afloat? Will the €510 million that is not right now being credited to Irish Water kick in? It points to a fundamentally flawed model. I accept that there have been improvements, but all we are doing all the time is trying to do the wrong thing a little big "righter".

I have put three questions. I would appreciate three answers.