Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I think I know a little bit more about where councillors are located in this country than Senator MacSharry. The answer I got from practically all of them was that they were positively disposed to the system that is in place now. I had reason to telephone the call centre in November as the water had gone off in the area where I live. On three occasions in seven hours I got a call back from the centre in Cork and the final call was to advise that the water would be restored within one hour of the last call, and that is what happened. With respect to the criticism I had at the time about the centralisation issue and the removal of autonomy from councillors, I have been proven wrong about that, and I am glad to say so. The system is working in terms of fault reporting and fault responses to elected representatives.

Fianna Fáil has put down this motion in the hope of trying to make a position for itself on this issue. Many of its councillors across the country are happy with the establishment of Irish Water. Many of them have told me openly that despite the fact that they did not think it would work, it has worked.

We saw the attempts to try to stir up opposition to the implementation of water meters. I saw that in my town. The resources of the State had to be applied in very nasty situations where people who wanted water meters installed in their homes in order that they would be able to beat the water services allowance - some 40% of people are now beating that allowance and paying the minimum amount - were prevented from having them installed by people who were transported into the town. Those people travelled in buses around this country causing opposition to the work of Irish Water. Having that matter dealt with in a motion would be more relevant than what Senator MacSharry has attempted to do in this motion. He probably compiled it some day last week when he was not on the stage in Sligo doing a bit of acting.