Ó Cuív, Éamon

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed) (Continued)

We need to examine the facts in a calm way. I am disappointed that the Minister is leaving, but so be it. I often wonder does anyone listen in this House. I have made comment previously to the e...

My understanding is that the idea of going to a metered water charge was that there were leaks on people's properties and this would discourage people from wasting water. In this way we would sa...

If that was the reason and it was intended to create a utility like the ESB, the logic would be that sooner or later the full economic cost of water must be charged. If people used vast quantities...

The argument I will be given in favour of this money-in, money-out approach - it was water-in, water-out - and a massive bureaucracy is that it will facilitate off-balance sheet borrowing. The i...

There will be a net contribution of between minus €20 for a single dwelling house and plus €30 in rural Ireland. Am I correct?

We are trying to be constructive tonight. When one tries to be constructive around here, one gets into trouble. The Ministers of State were trying to be helpful to me. We would not like to make ...

These 500,000 houses will yield damn all to the Exchequer. However, to get this null or minor sum will require a huge amount of administrative work. Uisce Éireann will have to issue all these p...

Given the 500,000 houses from which virtually no revenue will be derived, there could be a bill of €50 million to €70 million. Moving the money from here to there and back again, one winds up wi...

I turn to the next obvious question to which no one seems to have the answer. I would love to see the revised business plan for Uisce Éireann. The Government keeps saying it will borrow off-bal...

The other problem about all of this and the assertion that there is a great gain in borrowing off the balance sheet is that even if the Government was given €1 billion tomorrow, it could not spen...

What is the gain here in that case? What are we getting out of this apart from one thing that always happens. I am willing to admit I saw it happen when we were in government. There is a thinkin...

They will allow the figure to be written down to virtually zero because they take the long view that once the system is in place, they will be able to chip away at it until they reach their objecti...

Slogans are dangerous and I do not agree with the slogan, "We have paid for water". If we have paid for water, we have not paid for something else because the Exchequer returns for the first ten...

I hear another argument about broadening the tax base. Unless one plans to tax people outside the State, broadening the tax base means rearranging the chairs because one must still take money fr...

Increasing the number of piddly little taxes, of which a tax generating €100 million is one, is an irrational system for collecting money. When I was a member of the Government I used to hear a ...

My conclusion is that while the Government may not have a long-term plan, somebody in Merrion Street is taking the long view. A long time ago, Charlie McCreevy made the same comment in respect o...

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: if farmers who have completed relevant courses in Northern Ireland, achieving agricultural qualifications, will have these qualifications recognised automatically on a like for like basis when appl...

Forestry Grants

Asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: when farmers who have applied for forestry grants and were awaiting assessment of the possible effects of afforestation on the hen harrier habitats will be issued with a decision on their applicati...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: when agri-environment options scheme payments for 2014 will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Illegal Dumping

Asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government: the steps taken by his Department to ensure that material dumped without permission in the River Corrib at the Old Dock on Long Walk, Galway city is removed; and if he will make a statement on the ...