Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. I object to the proposal of statements on water, for which 80 minutes has been allocated. I remind Members that last week, when publication of the draft report was postponed, it was understood that time for debate would be allocated for tomorrow morning and on Thursday morning. There was also an understanding that a motion would be brought forward in respect of the report. Instead, we are offered statements for 80 minutes today. I am advised that Ministers were not available to take the debate on water charges in the Dáil on Wednesday and Thursday. If true, that is astonishing. Nonetheless, we will not accept statements today. We need the report, as drafted, to come through the committee and a motion to come to the floor of the Dáil for Members to debate and on which a vote will be taken - a vote taken in line with the original findings of the committee, in line with the electoral mandate of the majority of Deputies elected to the Dáil and in line with the expectations of hundreds of thousands of people across the State.

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