Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We had a vote ten minutes ago to remove the power of Irish Water to hold and demand PPS numbers and the Government voted against that recommendation. The Seanad has not yet even seen the Water Services Bill. The Dáil has not passed it yet. We were giving the opportunity to the Government to go ahead - quickly - with the recommendation by Senator Cullinane. It has refused. We are assuming the Water Service Bill will pass through the Dáil unamended. We are assuming it will then come to the Seanad and that the Seanad will deal with it. I do not think the Seanad will deal with that Bill before Christmas. Perhaps we should come back on Report Stage on the PPS issue, simply to reverse what the Tánaiste did here. I compliment Senator Mooney. He was the only person in the Oireachtas to raise this issue at the time the legislation was going through. If we had people who did this on the Road Traffic Bill or other flawed legislation that has come from the Government, we would not be rushing everything before Christmas, as has happened. It is a very simple recommendation.

The Tánaiste should come back on Report Stage on this Bill. We are only on Committee Stage now. We are not dealing with Report Stage yet. Just delete it. Get it over and done with. Forget about the Water Services Bill for the time being. We will deal with that in due course. As I am sure the Tánaiste is aware, the Seanad is independent and not controlled by the Government. Senators are willing to co-operate on issues like this. We will support any recommendation she puts forward on this and urge the Tánaiste to bring forward such a recommendation.