Who fears to speak of the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross?

The programme for Government allows for the establishment of an Oireachtas committee on water services. We are given to understand the expert commission will hand its report to the committee next Wednesday, 30 November. I watched the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, on the television last night. As he sought to defend water charges, he said, with an arrogance that was reminiscent of Phil Hogan, "drink all the rainwater you want." That is what it reminded me of. As ordinary people are determined not to pay, the Government must choose between abolishing the charges or facing the mother of all battles.

The Deputy should ask a question.

The Ceann Comhairle is right on time because I am about to ask my questions.

How long will the expert commission report be with the committee and how long will the committee meet? When it has concluded its deliberations and presented its report to the Dáil, how long will it be the property of the Dáil? In other words, when are we going to have the vote on whether to abolish the hated water charges?

I point out to Deputy Barry, who perhaps lives in a different world, that ordinary people all over the country have been paying for and contributing in respect of water for very many years.

Through their taxes, yes.

A great number of ordinary people, as Deputy Barry terms them, want to continue to be able to contribute for the water they receive and for waste water facilities nationally. I heard people this morning talking about the quality of the water off our coasts. Are we to continue with a situation in which raw effluent continues to be pumped into the lakes, rivers and seas?

Not at all.

I say "no". The vote will be held in March 2017. The committee will be expertly chaired by Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh. Everyone will have an opportunity to have a say.