Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

To summarise this very densely worded speech will not take very long. The Minister referred to my Fianna Fáil colleagues as having amnesia. He has the shortest short-term memory I know of because between starting and finishing his speech he changed his mind three or four times and began to confuse us even more. In summary, he stated water charges will be introduced only by meter and there is nothing wrong with this. He stated there will be no flat rate charge and there is nothing wrong with this either and it is Fianna Fáil policy. However, he then confirmed in a roundabout way that a utility charge which will incorporate a water charge and a property tax will be introduced from next year. The confusion continues.