Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The House will shortly get the opportunity to vote on the Bill which will suspend water charges. Following a reasonable process, the majority in the Dáil will then decide what happens to water charges. In addition, the days of an out-of-control, bloated and arrogant commercial firm will be ended, Oireachtas and independent oversight will be asserted and the massive expenditures on lobbying, opinion polls and corporate brand building will stop. Water policy is not the most important issue facing our country and it has taken too much time. It should not have taken so much effort to reverse a clearly failed policy which had been rejected by the people following a full debate.

Deputy Alan Kelly, suffering from the withdrawal of his drug of choice, has claimed that it is treason to remove this regressive, inefficient and democratically rejected tax.

If those in the Labour Party think it is treason to set out a policy, to cost it, to secure overwhelming public support for it and to try implement it, then that says much about the state of the Labour Party. The Labour Party remains so committed to a sure-that-is-what-you-say-during-elections style of politics that the only thing which currently unites its members is fury that another party might keep its promises. I note that the Labour Party's seven Deputies will today vote against Deputy Enda Kenny, apparently, although every one of them was elected on a platform of wanting to participate in a Government led by the Deputy.

The formation of a minority Government on the basis of a confidence-and-supply agreement represents one of the most radical changes in our politics since Independence. The rules of how we all do the people's business are changing profoundly. Fianna Fáil is very pleased that its suggestion on the Monday after the election for immediate movement on deep reform of Dáil proceedings has led to an ambitious reform programme that will shortly be implemented. If the House is serious about implementing this, then the Dáil will be a far more constructive and consultative place, one that will have to come up with solutions to issues rather than engage in the normal Punch-and-Judy politics. The end of the Government's ability to order all business-----

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