Norris says Irish Water talking about bonuses for’rotten worker’

It was extraordinary that Irish Water was talking about bonuses for a "rotten worker", Independent Senator David Norris said. "The company has 2,000 extra passenger workers, many of them carried over from the previous situation, and a whole load of people who are getting over €100,000," he added.

“They are going to get their bonuses automatically.”

Mr Norris said members of the Seanad were getting €60,000 and complaining about it. “People who are parachuted into the Seanad by the Taoiseach, without as much as an election, are producing legislation seeking to halve the income we get,” he added. “When will we learn?”

Darragh O’Brien (FF) said only 500,000 people had returned the Irish Water documentation out of 1.2 million.

“The whole thing is a debacle,” he added. “The Government might as well shut it down, suspend any further charging and try to get this right.”

Fair system

Mr O’Brien said most people wanted water conserved and a fair system, with which he would agree.

“However, the situation is going from bad to worse and it will not get any better unless the Government shows some leadership.”

Marie Louise O’Donnell (Ind) said the only job Irish Water was doing was bullying the Irish people into paying for incompetence.

“My 91-year-old mother, a pensioner who has never made a comment in her life about having to pay bills, said to me when we were filling out the application form that I could send it in but she will not pay,’’ Ms O’Donnell said.