Despite the very cheerful articulation of where things stand in the economy by Senator Michael Mullins, it masks a different reality altogether in that we have far too many people out of work, people are still emigrating, people have been faced with an increase in taxes with the universal social charge, a property tax and they will face the introduction of water charges shortly. There have also been major cutbacks in spending in the area of health and education, which have impacted on front-line services in hospitals, primary care centres and schools across the State. We have fewer services and front-line staff across the board. We are paying more taxes than ever before. If we learn anything from the lessons of the Celtic tiger years, it must be that an economy has to be there to serve the citizens, all of the people, not the vested interests, the elites, the wealthy and the bankers. If there is economic growth, we need to see that used to benefit the people of this state. We have not heard a whimper from a single Government representative in this Chamber in about a year about the fact that we had the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of the State when we transferred billions of euro of taxpayers' money into the banks to pay back the debts of bondholders, speculators and gamblers. We were promised by the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach that we would get a retrospective deal on banking debt but we have not got it. We still have not got back a single cent of all that taxpayers' money that was poured into the banks to again benefit the wealthy, the speculators and the bankers, yet the citizens of this state are being faced with more cuts, taxes and the introduction of water charges. I take the opportunity to call on the Leader to again ask the Minister of State with responsibility for the Irish Water, Deputy Ferjgus O'Dowd, to come into the House to discuss the whole issue of water charges. What we are getting from the Government at the moment is leak after leak, pardon the pun. That is all we are getting. We were told the standing charge will be €100 and now we hear it will be €50. The citizens of this State deserve to know the truth and to know it in advance of the local and European elections in order that when they go to the polls they will know exactly who they are voting for, what they are voting for and what charges will be in store for them after the elections.

The Senator is way over time.

The response from people on the doorsteps to those who are canvassing is that people have given too much already. The water charges and the water tax is a step too far. The Government should come forward and let the people know exactly how much they will have to pay in water charges and how much it is will cost them.