I thank all the emergency services that worked so hard and are still working, particularly ESB Networks, the council workers and everybody who dealt with and tried to help, such as the Red Cross, the Garda, and others. However, I have one issue to raise relating to the strategic infrastructure Bill, namely, Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann really is unfit for purpose and has been found out nakedly on this issue.

Does the Deputy have a question about the-----

My question concerns Irish Water's role in disseminating information to us as representatives. It closed down the Oireachtas line at the weekend when everybody else was out trying to help and then gave us misleading-----

That is not a question about promised legislation.

It is under the strategic infrastructure Bill.

It is not a question on promised legislation.

Irish Water should be brought to account because it is giving out misleading information. I do not want to call it anything stronger but that is what it is. It was telling me that water was back in places when it was not back until several days later. When I asked about some place in Tipperary, it talked about Buttevant in Cork and some place in Kilkenny. It is so serious it is almost funny, but it is a big issue and it must be dealt with.

First, I thank ESB Networks and Irish Water for their response to what was an extraordinary weather event. My understanding is that there are fewer than 50 houses without water as a result of Storm Ophelia. There were tens of thousands that did not have water at one point. Likewise, in terms of ESB connections, at one point, up to 350,000 households had no power. It is now down to somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000, with most of them in the Cork area. There were co-ordination efforts across government and through Irish Water and ESB Networks. Of course, we will test to make sure we can improve it for the next time if it should happen again but we should recognise the efforts that have been made.

I did.

Actually, he did not. He was saying that Irish Water was not fit for purpose. I think it has done an extraordinary job in the past ten days.

Will the Government consider early consideration of the Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill 2016, which was passed unanimously in the Seanad?

My understanding is that there is agreement on that but I do not have a timescale for it. I can come back to the Deputy with regard to it.