I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to repeal the provision in the Water Services Act 2017 allowing Uisce Éireann to introduce a customer charge for use of water in excess of the specified threshold amount.
We move this legislation today because Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted on water charges. The legislation would scrap water charges once and for all by removing Part 2 of the Water Services Act 2017, which would remove any ability to charge for so-called "excessive use".
Recent reports that the Government is working in the background to reintroduce water charges by the back door have raised an alarm. It seems it is planning to resurrect the plan from 2017 to impose what it describes as an "excessive-use charge". People were not fooled by this last time round and they will not be fooled by it now. They know that it is simply a Trojan horse to introduce a full-blown household charge for water.
There was not a whisper about water charges from either Micheál Martin or Simon Harris during the election; not a peep. The Minister, Deputy James Browne, was quick to downplay the idea that the Government is preparing to reintroduce water charges. The big problem for the Minister, and for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, is that nobody believes them. Why would they? Their track record speaks for itself. For well over a decade, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have tried to impose water charges on the people of Ireland. Those efforts were met with fierce public opposition. Members will recall how communities across the State rallied together at marches, demonstrations and protests to face down the water charges agenda. It was a powerful and uplifting expression of real people power. It led to the defeat of water charges and forced the Government of the day to scrap its plans. It seems that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did not get the message and have not dropped the plan. It is clear that the wheels are in motion to give their water charges a fresh coat of paint and again dress it up as an environmental action.
The evidence shows that water charges do not help conserve water and only increase water poverty. This is also a Government that has failed abysmally to deliver the significant upgrades to our water infrastructure at pace, to modernise the pipe network to prevent widespread leakages and to deliver the water quality communities have every right to expect. It seems Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are prepared to gamble that public opposition to water charges was simply a flash in the pan. That is an arrogant and out-of-touch roll of the dice.
I remember the anti-water charges campaign. It stands out in my mind for the energy, strength, togetherness, and the principled stand of the protesters. I remember the demonstrations that drew record numbers to the centre of Dublin. They came from every community, from all walks of life, and from every town and city. It was not a fleeting anger. It was rather about a shared, deep-rooted value - that access to water is a human right and the right of every citizen in a decent society.
Gheobhadh an reachtaíocht seo réidh le táillí uisce go deo. Má tá spéis ag Fianna Fáil nó Fine Gael a chur ina luí ar dhaoine nach bhfuil siad ag cur plean le chéile chun táillí uisce a thabhairt ar ais, ba chóir dóibh tacú leis an mBille.
I have no doubt but that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are conniving a plan to reintroduce water charges. However, if the Government is adamant that it is not, and if it wishes to end the speculation, then it cannot simply talk the talk. It must walk the walk by backing this Bill to change the legislation to emphatically and categorically rule out the reimposition of water charges - to scrap them once and for all. That is how the Government will convince people.
The Government could also assure people that our water network will not be sold to private investors in the future by holding a referendum to keep water services in public ownership. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are not prepared to take these steps, then they need to keep one important thing in mind - our communities defeated water charges before and our communities will defeat water charges again. Sinn Féin will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people in opposing domestic water charges. We will fight tooth and nail any Government plan to charge households for water.
