Public ownership of water referendum
Deputy Collins pressed for a referendum on public ownership of water to be held in November alongside other promised referendums. The Taoiseach confirmed commitment to the referendum but said wording and date were not ready, and stressed any constitutional wording must be right.
Today is United Nations World Water Day, which promotes water services as a fundamental human right. The theme of the day this year is accelerating change. The Taoiseach recently stated on RTÉ that the right to housing referendum would most likely not be taking place this November along with the referendum on gender equality. He said that the Housing Commission has not yet produced the wording. The Government previously stated that the referendum on public water would take place with the housing referendum, yet the Taoiseach made no mention of it. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, informed me by letter last November that we would see the wording of the referendum on public water in early 2023. We are now at the end of March and going into the second quarter of the year. Water services workers are outside the gates of Leinster House today, demanding a referendum, the wording thereof and the date on which it will be held. I have had legislation providing for a public water referendum before the House, with cross-party support, for seven years but have received no replies to questions on when the Bill will progress. I sent a letter to the committee on 7 March but I have not received a response. Is the Taoiseach committed to having a referendum on the public ownership and management of water? If so, when? Will he make sure it happens in November?
Comment on this
We do not have the wording or the date for it yet, so I cannot commit to November. It is important that the wording of any constitutional change is got right.
Comment on this
The Government has had seven years to do so.
Comment on this
We know why that is. It is because it is open to interpretation by the courts. The power is taken from here to the courts to decide what is possible and what is not. I must say that there are no proposals of which I am aware, from any party in this House, to privatise Irish Water. I understand people want the referendum to give them a reassurance that this will not happen, but we must note that there is no proposal from any party in the House to privatise Irish Water. That is an important point in this context.