Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This Bill is a classic example of a Trojan horse. The Government drafted a Bill containing provisions for the Bourne-Vincent memorial park, which nobody could oppose, and then added several cynical provisions relating to Irish Water in order to take the last few quid from people who cannot afford it. How did the Labour Party move from opposing water charges with the slogan "Every little hurts" to having one of their Members, the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, come to the Seanad to ram this legislation through? The Minister, Deputy Kelly, abused Dáil procedures to force this secret legislation through that House in the last few weeks of the session. Opposition to water charges was the main element of the Labour Party's campaign during the last week of the general election but it is now driving the charges. It is not even leaving Fine Gael to do the dirty work.