John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Tony Mulcahy in what he said about the outrageous attempt made by a Cabinet Minister to undermine the Seanad.

I would like to put the Government on notice that if it intends to run its full term it should start to respect this Seanad and Senators because it is an absurdity to repeat an untruth, namely, that the Seanad costs €20 million per annum to run and that €100 million can be saved in a full term when it has been put on the record in the annual accounts of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission that the direct costs of running the Seanad are €8.8 million. It is not a small sum but none the less it is nowhere near the moneys the Government is bandying around. It is outrageous to suggest that this money would be diverted to people with disabilities. If that is the lame campaign the Government will engage in to abolish the Seanad, it should be ashamed of itself if it does not have a stronger argument than that to put forward. It is presumptuous in the extreme to appoint a director of elections and move to prepare for a referendum when the legislation has not completed its passage through the Seanad, much less been signed by the President.

If the Minister, Deputy Bruton, wants something with which to occupy himself between now and the autumn I have a suggestion on where he can focus his attention. The Midlands, Leinster and Dublin are on the verge of a drought. They are about to run out of water. Recently, we had the announcements of extensions to Intel, Pfizer and the Kerry Group, all of which rely on a safe, secure, sustainable supply of quality water. That resource will not continue to be available into the future for commerce, industry, agriculture and householders unless this Government expedites the construction of the Garryhinch reservoir and water project without any further delay.

I call on the Leader to arrange with the Minister of State with responsibility NewERA, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, who is a constructive Minister, to come into this House to explain to us the priority being given to this project with Irish Water to construct this reservoir because the Government seems preoccupied.