Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the commission because we can have a real debate about water, the payment of charges and the funding of our network, system and services. I challenge anyone in the House to show me the colour of his or her money. The Irish Water list of projects for Cork is going to require investment. That means money. As Sinn Féin becomes more mainstream, as it has done in the North of our country, it will discover that government requires making decisions. One cannot come into this Chamber or any local authority chamber and be all things to all people. It requires making decisions. That is why Senator Coffey has said that the most consistent party on water has been Fine Gael. I would happily go to the country on water if I had to. I did it in the last election and was intimidated by people in my constituency. I will stand up to all of them.However, I will not be populist like the Fianna Fáil Party leader was in the case of Cork.