James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

While the proposal from Fianna Fáil this morning may be a bit of stunt, it is no harm that people are finally starting to listen. A number of people and high profile politicians seem to be jumping on the water charges band wagon. To hear the leader of Sinn Féin say that he will pay the charge one minute and say he will not pay it the next in solidarity with people is a bit of a joke. However, it is good that people have responded to these protests by ordinary people who are sick to the teeth of being made to pay for the mistakes of bankers and bad governance. Having said that, our water services are being put on a privatisation footing and I will support calls for a referendum to be put to the people. It is well within our rights and the people should decide who runs the water supply.

There is a bit of push to try to get people registered to vote in the upcoming referendums. I was given a letter from Limerick County Council and I ask the Leader if this approach is being taken by every county council when reviewing their registers of electors. The letter stated that it appears the person is no longer resident at the above address - take note that this letter arrives at an address at which the person is no longer living. It states that if the council does not hear from the person to the contrary within the next ten days, it will assume that is the case and will make arrangements to remove the person's name from the register of electors. This is madness. A letter can arrive to a place where a person is no longer living and the person is told he or she must respond in ten days or else he or she will be removed from the register. It is a complete mess. Is anyone taking responsibility for this?

I have seen electoral registers where some people have a vote in a number of different areas. I have come across instances where people who have been dead 20 years have been sent polling cards and yet people who move house are taken off the register without them knowing it. There is utter confusion.