Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that because it will relieve one source of frustration.

I have another suggestion regarding conservation. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Irish Water or a combination of the two should publish practical suggestions on how people can conserve water, whether through water butts, rainwater harvesting or some such measure. Any such suggestions would show a positive attitude towards trying to get to a situation where we have adequate water supplies.

I condemn some of the actions that have taken place in the past few weeks. I fully recognise the right of people to protest peacefully and commend the 100,000 and more who took to the streets to make their protest felt. Many of their concerns have been responded to through what the Minister has proposed. However, I cannot condone the protest that took place around the Taoiseach and, in particular, the Tánaiste when Deputy Paul Murphy organised a rabble which could have led to a death. This is unacceptable in Irish politics. We should never move from the acceptance of full democracy. The right of people to move about freely is part of democracy and we must resist going down a route that denies this right. People can express their annoyance and hopes through the ballot box, as has been the practice. This is one of only four countries in Europe that has had continuous democracy since the time the State was founded. We want to keep it like that.

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