Interpreting the water report
Bruton again welcomed the Sallynoggin students and defended the commission report as evidence for careful deliberation. He said it supported metering, a national utility, and a polluter-pays approach, stressing that elected representatives must sift the evidence rather than react to protests.
First, I welcome the students from Sallynoggin.
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This is the assembly where people deliberate, sift the evidence and draw conclusions after careful consideration. Unfortunately, Deputy Boyd Barrett tends to reach his conclusions without looking at any of the evidence.
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One must be careful with the evidence.
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This is a very valuable document providing evidence for us. It deals with issues raised, such as the nature of the right that might be there for water and the best system for charging. Interestingly, it is recognised that the best system for managing the issue would be volumetric metering, although it is recognised that the political realities are such that we must have acceptance for whatever form of charging is introduced. The report points out the road on which acceptance would be built. It would be built on principles of fairness, one of which is that people who use water excessively could not expect the general taxpayer to pay for that behaviour. Equally, it is indicated that people with group and other schemes should be treated equally.
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It is indicated that people paid in good faith, with more than 60% of people doing so, recognising their civic duty. Not everybody decided they would not pay a legally established charge. The report indicates those people should be treated equally and fairly.
There is much food for discussion and as we evolve a system that will deal with a water network that needs €5.5 billion and which is immensely important to our ambition to attract new employment and provide a social underpinning to our growing communities and new areas, we must recognise it is an important asset. We must deliberate on the expert input that has been provided. The Deputy tends to draw his conclusions by looking into his own heart and deciding what is best.
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We must deliberate over the evidence in a mature way. That is what I look forward to doing.
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That is the nature of democracy. It is not just those who shout loudest or protest who make determinations. It is the elected people, on a balanced basis, sifting the evidence and making decisions for our community in the best long-term interest of the country.