I welcome the Leader's strong commitment to allowing a full, fruitful and, I hope, constructive debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. This shows that these matters deserve our scrutiny and attention and the fact that the Leader has not imposed a guillotine on this legislation will help the debate. I hope colleagues opposite realise clearly over the next few days what they are voting for if that is their intention. They will vote for cuts to maternity benefit, the household benefits package and payments to jobseekers aged under 25. The House has an opportunity to stand up for itself. There will be an opportunity on Committee Stage for Government Senators with some conscience to support some amendments. I look forward to the debate.

While I acknowledge we are dealing with that Bill this week, it would be important for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to come to the House as well to discuss the water shortages and the curtailment of water supplies in the greater Dublin region. We all know the effect this has had on householders and, in particular, on businesses and rate payers in Dublin city. This was an unforeseen incident and I welcome the fact that the Minister saw fit to visit the plant in Ballymore Eustace yesterday but why is he sitting on €141 million in capital expenditure, which is to be used for the capital programme? That money could be put to good use in advance of bringing forward a new water tax to improve the water services infrastructure. I would like an opportunity to ask the Minister about this and about what future contingencies will be put in place to improve the State's water network and not just the network in Dublin.

It was a shame that neither House sat last week. I listened with great interest and occasional incredulity to the confusion arising from the letters issued by Revenue in respect of the local property tax. I remind Members opposite that the legislation introducing the property tax was guillotined by the Government, with only four hours of debate permitted. What was particularly striking last week was that members of the Labour Party, including the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, were hysterical, acting like they had nothing to do with the introduction of this charge. Moreover, the impression was given that the Revenue Commissioners were a completely separate arm of the State, which is not the case.

I support the call by members of the Labour Party for an extension of the deadline for payment. Nobody should be paying a tax in a year in which it is not levied. The confusion arising out of this issue is immense, with people waiting 35, 40 or even 50 minutes to get through to Revenue helplines.

Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

I do. Did the Government know the Revenue Commissioners were issuing these letters? Was the date on which they would be issued to 969,000 households known, as well as the contents thereof? Why were the letters sent just as the budget was finished? Were the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, aware of what would be done?

Will the Senator put a question to the Leader?

I intend to propose an amendment to the Order of Business.

The Senator is running out of time.

I am proposing that either the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform make a statement in the House as to whether the Government will extend the deadline for paper returns in respect of the property tax. It is not acceptable that some people should have to pay a tax this year for next year. That debate would give us a chance to ask the Tánaiste and other Ministers whether they had any idea these letters were being issued and to discover why in God's name members of the Labour Party have been jumping up and down in recent days as though they are in opposition.

The Senator is way over time.

If the Government did not know these letters were about to issue, then there is a larger issue. We are talking about a tax that will bring in some €500 million next year. I am proposing this amendment to the Order of Business in order that we can get some answers.

For somebody who was a Member of the Dáil when his party was in government, the Senator is betraying an astonishing ignorance of the role of the Revenue Commissioners.

Did members of the Senator's party know the letters would be issued?

Revenue is, of course, independent of the Government.

Did the Senator's boss know the letters were going to issue?

Senator Ivana Bacik to continue, without interruption.

Any confusion arising out of the letters sent by the Revenue Commissioners is unfortunate. Clarification is certainly required and the Government has moved swiftly to provide it. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, has already met with the head of Revenue. The Oireachtas is moving on the issue, rightly so. Deputy Ciarán Lynch has called representatives of the Revenue Commissioners to a meeting of the finance committee to establish the reason the letters were issued.

He did so without the agreement of the committee.

It is very clear from what the Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan, has said that there is no obligation to pay the money due in 2014 by the end of 2013, nor was that the intention of Revenue's letter. The Fianna Fáil Party is simply scaremongering on this issue.

Does the Senator agree the deadline should be extended?

It is not just Fianna Fáil that is concerned.

Senator Ivana Bacik to continue, without interruption.

The Senator's party leader called for the deadline to be extended. Does she support that call?

The Senator has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business. He must allow Senator Ivana Bacik to speak.

Any responsible legislator on either side of the House should be calling for clarification, which is exactly what the Labour Party and other parties are seeking. To try to muddy the water and stir up even further confusion, as Fianna Fáil has been doing, is irresponsible and unhelpful to ordinary citizens who are seeking to understand their tax obligations.

That is rubbish. We are trying to put on the record what people are actually saying. People might no longer be talking to members of the Labour Party, but they are talking to us.

Please, Senator.

It is not helpful to be calling for amendments to the Order of Business-----

Why not?

-----and seeking to muddy the waters on this issue. People simply want clarification.

We have not got it; that is the problem.

Clarification is what is being sought and what Revenue will give us in due course.

Senator Bacik Ivana to continue, without interruption.