Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to put on the record that I was never a populist. Anybody who knows me knows that as long as I have been involved in politics, I have not been a populist. I believe we need water charges in this country so that we can invest in quality water services to service our future, our children and our society. The Minister has referred to some of the serious issues. Senator Ó Clochartaigh himself spoke about the problems in Connemara, including cryptosporidium in the water. It happened in my own town, where there were boil water notices for a number of months. People could not bathe their children because of it. This is so serious that if we do not address it and grasp the nettle, we will regret this day. We will have failed, as public representatives and so-called leaders, the future generations unless we stand up-----