Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----the carrot of offering people a conservation grant has not worked and now the Government is using the stick and saying that if people do not play ball that it will put its hands into their pockets and take the money out of their bank accounts or social welfare payments. What is missing in its approach is an understanding that many people do not have the means to pay this unjust charge. That is the reality the Government does not seem to want to consider. It is disgraceful that the Minister, Deputy Kelly, and the Government are examining the possibility of taking these costs from people through the draconian means proposed. It would be much more suitable for us to have a debate on how to dismantle Irish Water and put in place a proper public utility that can deliver the needs of the Irish people, rather than putting in water meters at a huge expense to the public. I note that the plan for installing them in Galway city will be rolled out during the next few weeks. Instead of jailing people, the Government is now talking of putting its hands in the pockets of people who cannot afford to pay any more. The reason people have not signed up to Irish Water is that they do not have faith in it, they do not have faith in the Government's Irish Water policy and, in many cases, they are unable to pay for the extra costs of water, having paid for it through other mechanisms in the taxation system. A debate on the abolition of Irish Water would be a useful one to have in this House.