David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to raise the issue of Irish Water. A previous speaker said the Government's plan is illogical and to an extent one could argue that it is, given all of the failures of Irish Water and water charges. There is a very clear logic in terms of what the Government is doing with the water conservation grant and other measures, which is to entice people to register and then pay even if they do not want to do so. There is a clear logic, even in terms of the seven-year plan, which was announced today by Irish Water and its parent company. I heard some of their representatives on national radio this morning talk about the seven-year investment plan. It is not grounded in reality. There is no acceptance that this will be a big political and electoral issue. I accept that the Government parties have their view on Irish Water and water charges. The Opposition has a different view. There will be an election and the issue will be a central part of the campaign. We can all put forward our positions and the people will decide. I have no difficulty with that.

However, the plan ignores the EUROSTAT ruling. Irish Water is behaving as if it is a commercial semi-State company even though EUROSTAT has said it is not. The company talks about €2 billion being raised in revenue from residential customers by 2021. It ignores the fact that almost half of people have not paid, and that is of those who have registered, not to mind those who have not registered. There are clear problems with the Government strategy, but the foundation upon which the seven-year plan is being built must be examined. The reality is that what Irish Water is saying in terms of its seven-year plan is that the money is going to come from commercial water rates, domestic water rates and borrowing. All of the borrowing will be on the State balance sheet, which means that every cent is coming from either businesses in the State, citizens who pay and borrowings. A massive investment plan is envisaged yet there is no discussion or debate in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Dáil is not scheduled to debate the seven-year plan and neither has the Seanad scheduled such a debate.

This is taxpayers’ money. In spite of the EUROSTAT ruling, and given that this is a fully owned public company, as the Government has indicated, and should not be treated as a private company - the Government has said it does not want to privatise water services - the whole logic of the seven-year plan appears to be to move towards privatisation ultimately. The plan should be brought to the Seanad and the Dáil and we should have a debate on it. We will have a political debate and an electoral debate about the future of Irish Water and water charges. That will happen as a matter of course in terms of the election campaign, but the seven-year investment strategy should be brought before the Dáil and Seanad where it belongs. Let us have a debate about it in terms of the foundation upon which it is built, which is very shaky and ignores the EUROSTAT ruling and the obvious fact that many people in the State have not and will not pay for domestic water charges.