Sinn Féin TDs have walked out of the Dáil with other opposition members in protest at the wholly inadequate provision of time to debate the Water Services Bill.

Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the manner in which the government is handling the Water Service Bill is an insult to the people of Ireland.

Addressing Minister Ruairí Quinn, who was in the Taoiseach's chair for Order of Business, Deputy Ó Caoláin said: "Nearly two years after what you called the ‘democratic revolution’ of 2011 and for all your talk of reform you bring into this Dáil one of the most far-reaching bills in years and you want to ram it through in a couple of hours on the last sitting day before the Christmas recess.

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"This Water Services Bill is an insult to the people of Ireland and the way you are handling it in the Dáil today is a further insult.

"This Bill is to facilitate the imposition of water charges on householders across this State. You have given us no idea how much will be charged but we do know that - like the so-called Local Property Tax - no account will be taken of people’s ability to pay.

"This week the Dublin City Manager in his report exposed the chaos that this is going to cause if you try to force the transfer of water services from all local authorities to Irish Water on the 1st of January.

"We will not be facilitating this attack on democracy and we totally reject this Bill and your bulldozing of it through the Dáil today."

(CD/MH)