Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Schools should be advised that rather than holding the bills for the next two years, they should send them straight to the Taoiseach and let him deal with them because he is the only one who knows what is happening at this stage. I congratulate my colleague Senator Jim Walsh, who was the only person to get a clear view of the whole thing and managed to blame the schools for the water charges. A man such as he shows a great sense of analysis and perceptiveness in dealing with the problem. I look forward to this matter being dealt with later on.

On the question of the appointment of a person to the Standards in Public Office Commission, I do not want this to be a debate on the former Deputy, Michael Smith, who used to be a Member of this House, although that is not the issue. This is a simple matter. This person represents Members of the Houses on the commission. We need someone on it to represent us. We have had discussions and engaged with the commission every single year and have tried to obtain clarification on issues. This is important and it must be above and beyond party issues.

As I have stated previously, the process must be one of full consultation and, if possible, full consensus. I recognise there will not always be consensus on these issues. This is certainly one reason the Independents should be consulted. It would be appropriate to appoint a former Independent Member, such as the former Senator, Maurice Hayes, who is someone with experience in this area. I am not proposing this, but we need to have a consensus. The current situation does not reflect well on anyone.