Today, Irish Water-----

How many public servants has Sinn Féin fired?

Today, Irish Water begins the process of issuing bills for the Government's water tax. This is a further example of the dysfunction and injustice which has marked this Government's approach on this issue.

What is the Sinn Féin policy in the North?

Water charge bills will be issued to households which are not customers of Irish Water. Bills will also be issued to households which have undrinkable water.

The Taoiseach should compare his attitude to this issue and his attitude to the banks. What action has the Government taken against the banks which have refused to pass on the benefits of the lower interest rates set by the European Central Bank? The Taoiseach has given them a veto. Does the Taoiseach believe it is fair, just or equitable for the Government to take water charges from the wages, social welfare payments or pensions of a family, while at the same time he allows the banks to withhold the benefits of lower interest rates to these same families?

How many public servants is Sinn Féin sacking?

I reject Deputy Adams's assertion that this Government is not interested in people who work on lower wages. I point out to Deputy Adams that the live register figures for today, 1 April, show that the standardised unemployment rate has now decreased to 10%. Deputy Adams will recall that when he was first elected to the House, he was one of those who spouted constantly about the numbers of unemployed going above 500,000. It is still too high and we have a job to do ahead of us, which we intend to do to manage this competently in the interests of the people. That is why the first thing the Government did with the troika - it arrived in this country not by my invitation, but it was here - was to reverse the decision made by the previous Government in terms of the minimum wage. That is why we have taken 420,000 people out of the requirement to pay the universal social charge. That is why it is the intention of Government to bring that to 500,000 when the Minister for Finance presents his budget in October. That is why, having listened carefully to the people, the level of charge for water is €1.15 per week for a single person and €3 per week for two or more adults.

The Government wants it to be more.

That is why we need the Low Pay Commission.

It seems to me as if Deputy Adams is content to leave people with inferior water with 40 plus towns emptying raw sewage into lakes and rivers for the foreseeable future. I am not prepared to stand for that.

That is the Government's legacy.

I am prepared to see fixed the 30,000 leaks through which many litres of water are being lost every day. It is being wasted. Let me be clear to Deputy Adams on the question about the banks. This Government did not fix and restructure the banking system for the benefit of bankers. It is for the benefit of customers.

The Deputies opposite may well laugh, but the fact is that this issue is central to the economic catastrophe that was allowed to befall the people.

The Government has given them a veto.

We had to restructure those banks and recapitalise them. That has happened. They are now back in profitability and they are paying lower interest rates on the money they have to borrow.

They were never here.

Would you stay quiet, please? Thank you.

The point is that we did not fix those banks for the benefit of the banks but rather for the customers.

I told you to stay quiet, Deputy McGrath.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, responded to this during Priority Questions this morning. I expect the banks to do better than they have been doing in respect of variable mortgage interest rates.

So did Deputy Joan Burton.

The Taoiseach should call them in.

I notice the Fianna Fáil Private Members' business last evening called for the Economic Management Council, which Sinn Féin wants to abolish, to produce a White Paper. The Fianna Fáil Members have nothing but a catastrophic tradition in so far as banks are concerned. They need not open their mouths about it any more. As for those in Sinn Féin, who know a lot about banks as well, we did not fix them for the benefit of the banks but for the benefit of the customers, and we will be meeting the banks shortly. Will also be bringing a number of other options this month in so far as mortgage distress is concerned.