Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

When we got the house we had to pay rent, which was normal, and twice a year we had to pay moiety rates. Deputy Halligan will remember the rates on county council houses. We did not have any money and had to make do. Every year my late mother had to rear turkeys or pigs to try to pay the rates. I acknowledge that I have the same background as Deputy Healy. In that context, we were extremely limited economically and financially, and did not have many resources, but we were raised always to pay the bills.

I remember that before Santa would be looked after, the rates man would arrive for the second moiety in December and the turkey had to be paid for from the rates money. This was, by the way, for a rented council house. We did not own it, but we were glad that we had it. I came from that background. I am the eldest of ten children of a county council employee. The reason I mention this in the context of water provision - Deputy Seamus Healy will probably know this - is that we had a dry toilet, a toilet with no water.

See this speech in context