Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Throwing insults is par for the course for those who are on the back foot. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien spoke earlier about the value of his party's motion. The difference is that we gave people value for their vote when they voted for Fianna Fáil because we actually secured the suspension of water charges. We now have an opportunity to cut through the waffle and spin and get to the heart of how this service will go forward in the future. This is something that Deputy Tóibín called for when he debated with me on local radio yesterday. He said that we needed a commission to look at this regime but his constant contradiction of Sinn Féin's position yesterday, including stating that Sinn Féin would not repay those who had paid their bills, was incredible. Rather than acknowledging what has been achieved, what we have seen here this evening is the usual smoke and mirrors from Sinn Féin which, in presenting its argument, has tried to move the goalposts and repackage the truth. Deputy Adams knows full well that there was no blocking of water motions here but, again, he is attempting to re-spin the truth on procedural matters in the Dáil prior to the election of Taoiseach.

If Deputy Adams was serious about this issue, he and his party would have actively engaged during the ten long weeks when parties worked to create this Government, with the notable exception of Sinn Féin which spent its time sniping from the sidelines. Deputy Adams spent his time watching re-runs of "Django Unchained" and tweeting obscenities. In that instance lies the clear difference between serious parliamentarians and those who pretend to be - those who come in here and present motions that have no legal effect as opposed to those who recognised that a Government needed to be formed and who secured the suspension of water charges in its formation. When that Dáil committee reports and comes back before the Dáil, we will all have the opportunity to address the report and vote on the future of water charges or their death. This clear process is out there in the open and the public knows that. They know that charges are suspended and they know who secured that. The problem for Sinn Féin is that it did not bother to work constructively to see that this Government came into being in the first instance and it now finds itself on the back foot.

People voted for many things in the general election of 26 February 2016 and left us with a divided Dáil. In achieving the creation of this Government, we have seen the ability to address serious issues no more so than last week when the Central Bank (Variable Rate Mortgages) Bill 2016 was dealt with. This is an issue that is crucifying people and from our position as the main Opposition party, we presented a clear path to address it. We also dealt with the issue of adoption, and from our position in opposition, the suspension of water charges because instead of just talking about it, we walked across the floor and actively engaged with Members from Fine Gael who held a different position. We negotiated to secure the suspension of water charges. This, of course, is grating to Sinn Féin and others. Rather than spin that they are doing something, perhaps they could wake up and actually read what is front of them and realise that Members on these benches faced up to the responsibilities put in front of them and achieved something. There is a process in which people can engage and I encourage all Deputies to be part of a process that can see the death of water charges. Sinn Féin and others should engage in this process and join in making this Dáil work for the people rather than just rehash the same old lines and con the people with the same old rhetoric and tired lines.

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