David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Irish Water is a noose around all of their necks; that is the reality and it was entirely of their own making. The Government had three chances to get it right; it is déjà vu. We are 12 months on from the first scene when the Government had to put up its hands and admit that it had made an absolute mess of it. It came back a second time, but it also made a mess of it. It has now come back a third time but has still not answered questions. It has stonewalled the Opposition and complained that we are filibustering because we have asked questions. We have spent 25 hours trying to hold it to account on each and every section of the Bill. I am proud of the work Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil have done and that Independent Senators have tried to do, which is to hold the Government to account. We want to see the Bill thrown out, as it should be. The fact that the Government will not accept this crucial amendment goes right to the heart of the Bill which is an absolute disaster. The Government will pay a price, but the biggest thing is that we will also all pay a price. It is not allowing a full review by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Does this mean that the Committee of Public Accounts may not be able to hold hearings?