Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

-----there is no women in the Dáil to be howled down and shouted at by very loud men. The Minister of State should expect a lot more. The Government is going to be challenged at every inch and on every line of these amendments to the Bill because of its manoeuvring and the way it thought it could act in the belief that we would simply give up. People have asked why we do not walk out of the Dáil. However, four or five Deputies spent the night here getting some interesting information out of the Minister of State and getting him to admit that motor and other taxes have been paying for our water services. We knew this, but it was nice to hear it from the horse's mouth. The Government has been saying we have been getting it for free and now we must pay for it but we were paying for it all along. Now the Government wants us to pay a second time and on top of those taxes which were already paid.

It is ironic that after this debate - it should be mentioned although it may have been mentioned earlier - the debate on the disgraceful cut to the lone parents payment is being shoved in at 9 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. tonight. There are women about whom I am reading today who are being told they have no money-----

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