Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely, I know that. The campaign of civil disobedience is about more than water. It is about concerns about not having enough money to live on and about being pushed too far. We have seen what the credit unions have to say about the level of disposable monthly income. This must be factored in when considering the debt issue. The Government may not want to be seen to backtrack because it has invested so much in Irish Water. Essentially, to backtrack would be about losing face in advance of a general election. It is linking these issues together although they should not be linked. While there are positive proposals in this legislation, the Government has undermined it by creating this connection.

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