Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I wish to inquire whether the Leader has an update in respect of the report of the working group on pyrite. I welcome his indication yesterday that the House will engage in a debate on this report and also on building control issues relating to Dublin and other areas throughout the country. Will the Government support the call from the residents of Priory Hall to the effect that when he meets representatives from the Irish Banking Federation later in the week, the Taoiseach should insist that the federation and the relevant mortgage lenders take part in the conciliation process? As stated yesterday, I welcome the fact that such a process is taking place. However, the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly the banks, is required. If the Leader would convey my message in this regard to the Taoiseach I would be very grateful.

As each day passes, it is incumbent on the House to engage in a full and proper debate on the Government's position with regard to water charges. I indicated yesterday that the problems in this regard follow on from those relating to the debacles involving both the septic tank and the household charge. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, has confirmed what people in Dublin already knew, namely, that up to 39% of homes in the capital and the surrounding county are not suitable for metering and that a flat charge will, therefore, apply. This means that certain people will not be obliged to pay for the water they use.

Figures released in recent days show that the Government has spent over €7 million on obtaining policy advice from private consultants. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, and his Department paid PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, over €130,000 for advice on how to establish Irish Water. PwC clearly stated that the latter should be a separate State entity which should not be held under semi-State control. When it received this advice, the Government effectively threw it in the bin along with the €130,000 paid for it. The Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, paid Goodbody Economic Consultants €300,000 to produce a report on how to go about selling the VHI and then promptly decided to discard the advice offered. These figures represent only a small proportion of the €7 million spent overall. The latter amount does not include the money Government Ministers are paying to private spin doctors. I will not even refer to the breach in salary caps which the Government continues to condone. The money paid to the private spin doctors to whom I refer has not really been well spent, particularly when one considers their performance, and that of the Government, in the past three to four weeks. If I was a member of the Government, I would seek to obtain assistance from others in the context of matters relating to communications.

I wish to table an amendment to the Order of Business to the effect that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, come before the House to explain the position with regard to water metering and the proposed property tax and the figures that are being bandied about in respect of both. There is total confusion with regard to water charges and different messages are being issued by different Ministers and Departments each day. The only contributor to the debate on water charges from the Labour Party has been the Tánaiste, who commented on the Sunday before last that a decision had not been made when, in effect, it had been made. Obviously, there is a drive on the part of Fine Gael to impose these charges on people. As already stated, over one third of people are not going to be in a position to have meters in their homes. The Government is to spend over €1 billion putting a system of water metering in place but it does not really have a clue as to how it is going to proceed. It is important, therefore, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, should come before the House today to explain the position and to provide clarity in respect of this matter. If my amendment to the Order of Business is accepted, perhaps Deputy Hogan, as the senior line Minister, might be able to provide clarity once and for all.