Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The kernel of the situation is the overall question of charging, the willingness of people to pay and the efforts by People Before Profit and anti-government types of all sorts suggesting we should pay for nothing and do nothing. I remember the same people suggesting that there should be no charge for the collection of waste in Dublin. They said they would go to jail and never pay for the collection of refuse. I do not hear a word about them any more. They moved on to the next issue, which is water.

It is fundamental and important. I emphasise that people in my area have been paying for water up to now. We pay for water for farming and for business. We are excluded from the household charges for water. There is an exemption of 40,000 gallons per year.

There is a difference. Furthermore, there is an urban-rural divide in this regard. If the people in the urban areas of Dublin, Waterford, Galway and Limerick decide not to pay, what are the consequences for this or any future Government? Put frankly, are the Government charges enforceable at the end of the day? If not, then the Minister will have to avoid a situation whereby those who are paying will say they will not pay either.