David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support the call from Senator Ó Murchú for a debate on the Ballymurphy massacre. More importantly, the Irish Government should show real support and put pressure on the British Government to accede to what is a legitimate call for an independent panel of inquiry to be set up. I support everything Senator Ó Murchú said.

I also want to refer to the fiasco that is Irish Water, something that will not go away for the Government unless it puts its hand up and admits it has made a monumental mistake. It is a massive policy failure. The Government has had to come to the House three times with amendment Bills regarding water charges. It is planning to bring two Bills before the House this week and next week which will allow the Government to give more power to Irish Water, through the courts, to take money from people's salaries and pockets, something that is unprecedented. The reality of why that is the case has been exposed because the vast majority of citizens have not paid their water charges.

The madness of the Government's policy is that €180 million of taxpayers' money has already been spent on setting up Irish Water. We know tens of millions of euro have been squandered on consultants and there was major controversy over the establishment of Irish Water. Large amounts of taxpayers' money have been wasted and the Government will give €100 to hundreds of thousands of people in the State, some of whom may not have paid their water charges in the first place, through the water conservation grant. That means the Government, if the figures are correct, will make a loss.

The logic of its approach to setting up Irish Water was that there would be investment in our water services but because of its failure to convince people of the fairness of the policy, Irish Water will operate at a loss. In Dublin two of the largest anti-Government rallies that ever took place in the State involved the issue of water. We saw the same in Waterford city, where almost 10,000 people took to the streets not so long ago. There is a popular rebellion against the unfair water charges. Rather than the Government accepting that, it has tried to railroad through two Bills that force on citizens charges they simply cannot afford, or do not want, to pay. That is the reality.

The Government should go back to the drawing board on this matter. It has been warned by the Opposition time and again but it is not listening and has received an answer from citizens who have not paid their water charges. As one such citizen, I will continue not paying this unfair water charge.