Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is the reason I say the Minister has listened closely to the positions put forward here. What would be helpful at this stage to decide our position on the amendment - this is up to Senator Byrne to decide - would be for the Minister to formalise what he has said in some way. That might provide a worthwhile position to Senator Quinn and would certainly help Fianna Fáil. Above all else coming up to Christmas, it would send a message from Seanad Éireann to the people who are waiting to know what is going to happen that we realise that if they went out in their tens of thousands of people in inclement weather and at short notice, that was only the tip of the iceberg. If we went down to the communities, we would see the same situation and that way the figure of those who say they will not pay the water charges is way beyond the 30% stated in the polls. It could be 50% or 60%. Therefore, we cannot treat this legislation in the normal posturing way when we come in here to debate it. We cannot just know the Government's position and then just do what the Whips tell us.

I hope that, for once, Seanad Éireann, which was saved by the electorate, will now respond to its concerns. The lack of trust, the suspicions of the people and the 4,000 messages that we have been getting from the public are only the tip of the iceberg. I have been a Senator for 17 years and I have never experienced anything like this before. We are dealing with a totally new position. If what the Minister is now saying is that there is a possibility, if not in the forum, in the Constitutional Convention, we can, after eight hours debate, take some consolation from the fact that we are taking steps towards an inclusion of a provision in Bunreacht na hÉireann and we are making progress. Can the Minister formalise this in some way for us today? This would be the best thing the Seanad ever did and would reflect what the people expect of us. Above all else, it would return, rescue and salvage some credibility for the political system if this was to happen here in this august assembly this evening.