Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this motion, one to which we also signed up. Again, I would ask for humility in the face of the judgment of the people. Nobody here has a monopoly on demanding or calling for political reform. That demand has come from the people through the ballot box and in many movements on different issues affecting our society, whether it is water, hospitals, disability, young people and the issues that face them, or communities which have been desperately disadvantaged and hurt over the past several years. It is the responsibility of all of us - it is why I welcome this motion - to respect the judgment made and to allow this Dáil to have a diversity of voices, as well as a parity of esteem among those different forces elected to this House. They must all have the opportunity to speak, debate, as well as put forward their ideas, policies and priorities. These should not just be noble words spoken on the first day of the Dáil, soon to be forgotten. This business has to be done and settled. Everybody has said today that they want to see it happen. Now it has to happen because we had similar promises before.

I agree with the points made by Deputies Pringle, Healy and Broughan. It is an error in this motion not to have reference to the Independents, notwithstanding the need for the more detailed debate about changes to the rules of this House. The motion should be amended to include Independent Members who are not of any of those groups referred to in it. The Government must acknowledge that this amendment must be included.

There will be a debate about what messages have been sent by the electorate. Several of them are incontrovertible and are not open for debate. Ninety-nine Deputies elected to this House were elected on a pledge to either abolish water charges or, at least, suspend them.

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