David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Rather than accept that it got it wrong, the Government brings in a long amendment which reads as a massive vote of confidence in Irish Water. How dare it when that was not the will of the people. Fine Gael has not learned anything and it was not listening. I shared many platforms with some Independent Deputies, in Waterford and in Dublin, who were part of the Right2Water campaign. They stood on platforms and said water charges should be scrapped, that Fine Gael needs to be driven out of office and should not be replaced by Fianna Fáil, and that we need a real left alternative government in this State. Some of those Independents have signed up to a Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil Government and are signing up to a Fine Gael amendment today which retains Irish Water and water charges.

I plead with the Minister to do the right thing. It is not too late. If he believes the people are sovereign, if he believes in democracy and if the outcome of the election is to mean anything, the Minister, his Government and Fianna Fáil should do the decent thing and support the motion tabled by Sinn Féin and others here today. Let us once and for all scrap Irish Water and water charges and then let us get on with dealing with all the other important issues in health, housing and child care which we in Sinn Féin want to do.

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