Water a ‘precious’ resource that must be paid for - Taoiseach

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said everyone needs to understand they must make a contribution to the “precious” resource of water.

Mr Kenny was responding to former minister with responsibility for Irish Water Fergus O’Dowd’s strong criticism of the organisation this morning.

“He’s just making the point there’s a need for constant engagement with the community so that everybody understands the need for setting up Irish Water and the need for making a contribution to a commodity that’s very precious,” Mr Kenny said.

Speaking on his way in to a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings this morning, the Taoiseach said he had not seen Mr O’Dowd’s full statement.

Speaking this morning, Mr O’Dowd, who was sent to the backbenches in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, said people had been alarmed by being asked to hand over their PPS numbers without adequate explanation.

“People feel that they’re taking something off them that they’ve no right to get. Rightly or wrongly, people feel there has been an infringement of their privacy,” he said.

“When people think of Irish Water they don’t think conservation or jobs or stopping waste, they just think of a charge coming through their door from a company they know nothing about,” he said.

He stressed he was not criticising Irish Water staff or the company's head of communications Elizabeth Arnett, who was "top class".

Mr O’Dowd said “good people” were being led astray by protesters who were in some cases encouraging them to return blank forms, thereby incurring a greater charge.

He said that from his first day in the job he had stressed the importance “bringing people with them” by communicating the message properly.

“The only way it would be a success would be if people understood it fully and clearly.”

Also speaking on his way into the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said there is “a job of work to be done” by Irish Water to “reconnect with ordinary people”.

Mr Howlin said everybody realised the utility did not have a “wonderful start”.

“There is a rebuilding of trust that it is going to be efficient, that it is going to be value for money and that it is a State company that we’ll all be proud of, as we are of other State companies like the ESB, like Bord Móna.”

Mr Howlin said Irish Water would be the most important State company established “in our generation”.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said it was important people were provided with “full and detailed” information.

“I believe there is a need for Irish Water to be more customer friendly. They need to engage with the public in a way perhaps they haven’t to date,” he said. “I look forward to seeing improved customer relations in this regard.”