Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am responding to Senator Byrne in his absence. Fianna Fáil has been panicked into a position to abandon water charges for an undefined period, a position not accounted for in the party's pre-budget submission. Typically, Fianna Fáil is just making up a contradictory policy as it goes along. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that radically reforming the water system for the benefit of society is a challenging task. It is the type of reform that was purposely ignored by Fianna Fáil during its 14 years in power when the country was awash with money. Fianna Fáil does not have a coherent policy on water charges.