John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a long running saga that has been ongoing for three years. We know the grubby little deal that was put in place between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, kicking the issue down the road to this point to ensure that we did not go back to the polls and have another election in order that Fianna Fáil could have its say while propping up Fine Gael in government.

It is important that we remember that Deputies were given a mandate in the election. The people had their say and they gave the majority of Deputies in this Chamber a mandate to go and legislate to abolish water charges. We are constantly lectured by both the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties about democracy and the principles of democracy. I will not take lectures from either political party, as a member of the oldest political party in this Dáil, Sinn Féin - the oldest political party on the island.

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