Paul Bradford (Renua Ireland) | Oireachtas source

I agree with much of what Senator Cullinane said about the need for a debate on Irish Water but my prognosis on the company and the future direction of water policy in this country is different to his. What is on the table at the moment from Irish Water needs to be addressed. The company appears to do a very good job of keeping itself in the news, sometimes for good reasons but other times for bad reasons. It does a significant amount of television and radio advertising at enormous cost. We hear spokesperson after spokesperson bringing forward new angles about the business of the company. What surprises me about today’s announcement is that it does not seem to fit fully into the position into which Irish Water was boxed by way of the 12-year long service level agreements between the Department, the unions and the local authorities. I am not sure how one can match the other.

Irish Water is clearly not a conventional semi-State body. That decision has been adjudicated on and ruled on by a European body. We cannot make that decision go away. We were advised at the time that he situation could be regularised within 12 to 24 months, but as of now it is impossible under the current terms of the legislation domestically and internationally that Irish Water could pursue the line it indicated this morning. We have a Minister with responsibility for Irish Water and election or no election, we need some degree of certainty about the company’s current plans, and a debate here would be useful in that regard.

Both the Dáil and Seanad seem to have gone into a dizzy spin about an election. The men and women in the streets are not remotely concerned about when the election will take place. They want to get on with living their lives. Whether the election is in November, February or March, we have a duty to continue with the job which we have been elected to do. One of the issues of importance is the ongoing saga of Irish Water. Rather than speculate when the Taoiseach might call the election – perhaps he does not know himself – we should get on with our normal, ordinary business.I ask the Leader to try to organise a debate at which we might get some answers from the Minister on the apparently new stance being taken by Irish Water.