Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the alleged compromise arrived at on the water issue. As a House and at Oireachtas level, we must reflect on what this whole affair has to say about the way we do politics here and in the country. We have had massive national distraction and a tremendous amount of posturing on all sides on an issue which is really rather simple, namely, the idea of promoting public, individual and collective responsibility for a precious resource. What has gone on at political level over the last weeks and months has not been edifying and has not inspired confidence in the political process. We must consider our political priorities here. We have had all this distraction about whether people should pay and how much for their water usage while the entire political establishment on practically all sides of the House has ignored completely the fact that we face hundreds of millions of euro worth of overspend in relation to the proposed children's hospital, far beyond what was originally projected. There is a high likelihood that the hospital is being built in the wrong place and that it will endanger the children who need its services. Very eminent people have given dire warnings about the massive expense and lack of accountability around the constant increases in projected expenditure and questions about placement. There has been no serious political discussion of this while we rant on about a relatively minor issue, namely, water charges.

We have massive inconsistency here. While I hate to point fingers, the Fianna Fáil leader was speaking a few short weeks ago about the need for religious orders to hand over any health or education facilities they owned. Meanwhile, he asks today about the proposed exclusion of certain categories of former residents of mother and baby homes, saying the matter is complex and that it is too early to say. What really matters to our politicians? Is it the welfare of individuals, including former residents of these homes who have a very good claim to be included at the same level as others with a disadvantaged past or is this all about political posturing and going by what the media appears to want politicians to say? Is that what it is really all about at the end of the day?