David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thought the Laurel and Hardy double act on the Water Services Bill, marks one and two, had ended when Laurel got his P45 and Hardy was sent to Brussels. However, the contributions from the Leader of the House, Senator Cummins, and Senator Mullins prove that the comedy act is alive and well. The statements by those Senators today were outrageous. Senator Cummins said the Government had listened to the serious concerns of public representatives and protesters, but this time last year we spent 17 hours debating the Water Services Bill mark one. I tabled dozens of amendments, Fianna Fáil tabled amendments and Senators Norris and Barrett tabled amendments, but not one of these was accepted by the Minister of the time and all such amendments were voted down by Senators on the other side of the House. The Minister says he has raised his hands and admitted that mistakes were made, but he voted for the Water Services Bill, mark one. It was guillotined in the Dáil and the current Minister stood over all of the mistakes that he would now have us believe were merely the errors of two former Ministers who happen to have moved on. The reality is that he and everyone on the Government benches messed up on Irish Water.

Senator Cummins said he struggles to understand why people are still opposed to the Bill before us, but I made the point last year that I would not buy a pig in a poke and, by God, I made the right decision. The Government and the Senators on the other side of the House now admit that this was correct, because they now say the whole thing was a disaster. The Minister returned in January with the Water Services Bill mark two, and again, I said I would not buy a pig in a poke. The Minister now raises his hands and says that was a disaster too. I do not buy the nonsense and concessions the Government is trying to sell to the people of this State like a second-hand goods salesman. Again, I will not buy a pig in a poke, because all of this is a charade.

The Leader spoke of clarity, certainty and predictability on charges, but none of this is evident. We are being asked to vote on this Bill, and the Minister tells us there will be a plebiscite on the ownership of Irish Water should a future Government want to privatise the entity. That promise is not worth the paper on which it is written because it amounts to 28 lines in a Bill, and an amending Bill is all that is required to remove the section. Senators voted for a constitutional amendment, but the Government will not allow this because it is afraid to give the people that power. The Government is including a promise in a Bill, but it is not worth the paper it is written on because it resembles previous promises on ceasing to fund banks, not increasing college fees and not lowering child benefit. This is just another Government promise and it is not worth the paper it is written on.

Senator Mullins said today would go down in history in the same way as the day of establishment of the ESB.