Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

If the will-not-pay majority gets to the point that practically nobody is paying water charges and the company goes broke, where are we, as no company can survive without revenue?

I received a tweet tonight from a Fine Gael Deputy, whose name I will not mention, asking does government always have to start from a position of defence. Is it not possible to take on board some of the amendments brought to the Minister by the Opposition? Does the Minister intend to take any amendment on any Stage? I am quite happy to stay here until the sun comes up, goes down again and comes up again. I have no difficulty with that. Many is the time in my life I did a 48-hour stint. If the Minister is not going to take the amendments, will he do us the favour and tell us he cannot? Then we can all go home and come back to Report Stage on Monday when we can see what we can do with him after having a weekend to consider it. Like some of our learned judges have said in recent times, maybe the Minister should go outside and consider his position. When he has had time to do so, maybe he will come back in with a whole new approach to matters.