James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I remind Senator Leyden that Israeli Ministers have recently issued a call for the public to arm itself. That is a dangerous departure which will blow that conflict into a full religious one.

The Irish Water saga has gone from the sublime to the very ridiculous. Senator Mullins lauded the fact that €100 will be handed over to a person who has a private well. These people never looked for that money. The Government seems to be able to go to local meetings and write cheques for €100 and hand them over to people for no reason. It is bizarre. Perhaps those people will put the money towards the cost of maintaining a septic tank, 48% of which are failing the inspections. Maybe they can put the money towards the cost of installing a new bio-unit which will set them back a pretty penny.

I cannot understand the Government’s approach to Irish Water. The installation of meters caused huge angst and anger.

During the local European elections we met people on their doorsteps and they were right to be bloody angry and crestfallen when they saw that the footpaths were being dug up. The cement is hardly dry on them and now the water meters outside their homes are purely ornamental. The measure has been a complete waste of money.

I heard the Minister speak on "Morning Ireland" this morning when he spoke about grasping the nettle in terms of Irish Water. I put it to the Leader that this issue has become a bunch of nettles and no matter which way the Government turns, it will be stung and there is not a dock leaf in sight. It is time Irish Water was consigned to the same bin as the electronic voting machines. The Government should go back to the drawing board and start again. Sometimes one must knock an old house to build a new one. Instead of papering over cracks and filling holes with Polyfilla, it is often better to go back to the drawing board and start with a clean slate, which is what the Government should consider.