Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Somebody said something about scaremongering. I am delighted the Minister rejected the scaremongering by his Cabinet colleagues. I compliment him on that.

There is no fairness in the charge. There is no fairness in anything this Government has brought in. We have only to consider property charges. Try living in Dublin and see how much the property tax is, then start paying for water. My colleagues from rural Ireland have been paying for water for years.

Senator Quinn and several others have referred to amendments. I have tabled an amendment. We are not stupid in here. A plebiscite is nothing. It has no legal basis. The Government cannot be forced and a simple Act of Parliament can remove the need for a plebiscite. There is only one plebiscite, a referendum that places water in the ownership of the people.

I support Senator Ó Murchú’s call for a 90 day period of reflection. Let us sit back and think about where we are going. I would have been much happier had my motion this morning to delay this debate until January been agreed. I may be forced to vote against the Bill if I do not see some move on the referendum.