It is now over two months since I asked the Taoiseach how many people had paid water charges. One would have though that was a simple question. The Taoiseach answered it by telling me he was not here to spoon-feed me, but advised me to "toddle along" to the audiovisual room at 4 p.m. on 13 May where Irish Water would give me the answer to any question I wished to ask. He then told us the purpose of Leaders' Questions was to tell us where to go. That was all before he declared himself to be a long-time supporter of the idea that Dáil questions should be answered as fully and completely as possible. As he presumably knows, Deputy Ruth Coppinger and I duly toddled along to the audiovisual room to ask Irish Water the questions raised. We were told by it that it would not be "helpful" giving us the figures.

Following that I submitted a freedom of information request which was rejected on the grounds of commercial sensitivity by Irish Water, which is a monopoly. I appealed the refusal and got the same response. Approximately one month ago, when the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, was standing in for the Taoiseach, I asked the question again. Instead of getting any answers, I got a cut-price advertisement for Irish Water, which I could have got by turning on any radio station at almost any time of the day. The Minister did say, however, that we should direct our questions to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly. In fact, Deputy Ruth Coppinger had submitted a written question for the next day to the Minister, Deputy Kelly, which was ruled out of order. That is six different ways, which started more than two months ago with a question to the Taoiseach, we have tried to get those figures. It is quite a saga to get very simple information.

A question, please.

What is the Taoiseach hiding? What is Irish Water hiding? For one, many people can reasonably guess and surmise that what is being hidden is a very low level of payment, especially given that 30% of people have still not registered, despite the Taoiseach's promise of a free €100, which was stolen from lone parents, to get people to sign up. Irish Water was happy to give that information without any scruples about disclosing commercially sensitive information.

We return again, more than two months later, to ask two simple questions. Has the Cabinet discussed the levels of payment of the water charges?

Turn off the tap.

Will the Taoiseach please provide information about how many people have paid and how many have not?

Two simple questions.

I understand that Irish Water will provide that information to everyone tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

That is the wrong day.

Turn on the tap, Taoiseach.

I will repeat the two questions. Has the Cabinet discussed the payment levels of the water charges? It is a simple question and I would like the Taoiseach not to evade it. The Taoiseach told me more than two months ago to go to Irish Water, where we would get the information. He said, "I am sure Irish Water will be happy to supply the Deputy with the details of bills that have been issued and paid". More than two months later I am asking him, being, as Taoiseach, democratically accountable to this House, to provide this information.

It is a simple request and an important one in the context of the Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill, which has been exposed as nothing more than a Government scare tactic, being all bark with no bite. There will be no direct deductions from people's income for water charges. Two court cases will be necessary to get payment for water charges from people, the first of which cannot be taken until a bill of more than €500 has been racked up, meaning there will be no cases until the end of 2017. We need to have the figures so we can have a discussion on them. Will the Taoiseach answer the questions, given he is responsible to the Dáil?

Irish Water, as Deputy Murphy knows, has responsibility here. Deputy Murphy would not expect me to comment on matters which are discussed by the Cabinet.

So the Cabinet did discuss them.

That is a longstanding practice in this House, so I do not propose to do it.

Ministers do it every week.

Ministers tweet it every week.

As I said to Deputy Murphy, I expect Irish Water to make the information available to everyone tomorrow. No doubt he will have the opportunity to comment again if he wishes.

Will the Dáil not discuss it?

That completes Leaders' Questions for today.

He is off the hook.