Many Irish Water workers, and Tipperary County Council workers in the water services section, and Waterford City and County Council water workers - my parish is divided into both - have raised huge concerns and angst with me and with many other Deputies about what is going on and the transfer of their jobs and careers into Uisce Éireann or Ervia or whatever you want to call it now. There is huge concern and angst. I hate to call it a basket case but that is what Irish Water is. Níl aon phingin acu. They have no money. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien is chomping at the bit to stand up and say that they have. They have not. The workers there have served the county council and have served the people in the water services sections. These are plumbers and caretakers. Many of them have served the country well and have done some service to the State. In many cases they are being forced to go fully into Irish Water and leave their jobs that they took on as gainful employment as workers with Tipperary and Waterford councils and all of the other councils. It is unfair to them. I do not believe the unions are doing an awful lot for them. They are very concerned.

I thank the Deputy. The week after next we will have a full debate on Irish Water. I wish to inform the Deputy, as he might not be aware, that we have given a commitment as part of the framework agreement that there is no compulsory transfer of any council staff in any local authority to Irish Water. We are creating a single, publicly owned utility. We have had very good engagement with all of the unions. I met them again last week. We are advancing on that. Any worker who does not wish to transfer will not be transferred. There will be many opportunities for job advancement, career advancement and training within Irish Water as well. The week after next, however, we will have that full debate. It is important that the Deputy is aware, and for his own constituents and for anyone working in water services in the local authority, that if for whatever reason it does not suit them or they do not wish to transfer, there will be no compulsory transfers. That is actually in the framework agreement, which has been published.