Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What we need is water infrastructure for the 21st century, but instead we threw €800 million of the people's money down the drain in setting up an unnecessary quango. Frankly, whoever is responsible for advocating spending €540 million of the people's money on putting meters in the ground that are going to be obsolete in 15 years, should not be employed by this State. It is a damning indictment of the ineptitude and incompetence of those overseeing Irish Water and the Government and those associated with it should be ashamed.

By next September, a further €25 million bill will accrue to the Irish people in terms of the loan that has to be repaid. At this very late stage, the Government should admit failure, say how much we have gotten this wrong and move to abolish the water charges and the metering programme. It should revert immediately to a new delivery model to take advantage of the local authorities throughout the country. The Government should begin to resource them to do the work they know how to do instead of spending the €800 million we have wasted over the last 12 to 18 months. That money could have paid for 30% of the work that Dr. Tierney has rightly pointed out is needed in terms of investing in our infrastructure.