Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Without our amendments, the section is flawed and we will oppose it. Consider the past 18 months. Much has been said about the Dáil being the representative forum of the people of the Twenty-six Counties, but its Members have not been able to get answers. I stood opposite Phil Hogan when he sat where the Minister is and asked direct questions, but he waved his hand and brushed away my questions. Other Opposition Deputies like Deputy Cowen were brushed off in a similar manner. We have not been able to get answers.

This section relates to a forum. We specifically included householders, commercial water users and trade union representatives to ensure the key sectors were represented and we got the answers we wanted. The Bill makes no commitment to that. Last night, the most basic of questions could not be answered. The same was true this morning, be it because the Minister was not allowed to do so by the Ceann Comhairle or because he did not have the answers. It is appalling. We are being asked to buy into the Irish Water project, a corporate monster with considerable powers.

I recently received a letter from a Minister concerning a parliamentary question I had asked about Irish Water. The reply was to the effect that it was an operational matter for Irish Water and not the Minister.

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