Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Kelly, on trying to sort out this unmitigated disaster that they inherited in recent months. It all started when the former Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, the now Commissioner, Mr. Hogan, was tasked by the Taoiseach and the Labour Party-Fine Gael coalition Government to get Irish Water established as quickly as possible before people realised what was happening. I have no doubt that the Commissioner was promised he would be in Europe when any difficulty arose. Difficulties began arising before he went, but the Minister of State and the current Minister have been left holding this unmitigated disaster. They have tried their best to sort it out, but the only way to do so is to abolish Irish Water and stop wasting taxpayers' money.

The former Minister, Commissioner Hogan, gave the contract for establishing Irish Water to Bord Gáis Éireann without putting it out for public tender or consultation. He did not even have the courtesy to communicate with the joint Oireachtas committee responsible for the environment. This is a fact. Perhaps if he had not been in such a rush to hoodwink people, we would not be in this mess.

In all of the House's debates on Irish Water, the then Minister received good advice from all sides. He did not get any from the Lower House because it did not have the time. It only had three hours to deal with the establishment of Irish Water. Excellent ideas were put forward from all sides of this House. If the Minister had listened to some of that advice, perhaps we would not be in so great a mess.

Rather than go over everything that has been said in the various debates, I will ask a few questions. Households will pay between €160 and €260 this year. I note from the new legislative programme that was published by the Chief Whip last week that the Government intends to publish a further water services Bill this session. The Minister of State did not mention what that Bill would entail. Perhaps he will enlighten the House. The Taoiseach certainly did not seem to know when questioned about it in the Lower House last week.

According to the Minister of State, the €100 water conservation grant will be paid to eligible households that register with Irish Water and will help them to adopt conservation measures in their homes. As it is a grant using taxpayers' money, will the Minister of State outline what auditing process is in place to ensure that it is used for the purposes for which it is allegedly intended? How much will administering the so-called conservation grant cost the Department of Social Protection? We have asked this question time and again but we have not received satisfactory answers. Why is it necessary to continue installing meters that will not be used until at least 2020?

We in Fianna Fáil believe that Irish Water should be immediately disbanded and all of its responsibilities should be transferred back to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Given the promise of there being just one company to administer the system, why are three now in place? My colleague, Senator Craughwell, raised serious health and safety issues. I do not agree with him that the people involved in the installation of water meters are gangsters. They are far from that, being ordinary, decent people going about their daily lives and trying to earn a living for themselves and their families. However, the Senator has highlighted what appears to me as a lay person, albeit one with some involvement in workplace health and safety matters, a hazard. He should not be rubbished for raising the issue in the House or anywhere else. He has a legitimate concern in that regard.

I thank the Minister of State once again and welcome him back to the House. I hope that he will not be back here as a Senator in the near future.