I support the call made by my colleague, Senator Darragh O'Brien, for legislation to be drafted to provide for a referendum to enshrine the entity known as Irish Water into the ownership of the Irish people. We are dealing with the supply of water, which can be defined as a public good or as a necessity. I am not sure whether it would be known as a public good in economic terms. According to the World Health Organization, for the existence of human life an individual needs access to between 50 and 100 litres of water each day. In 2002, the United Nations prepared a document which outlined that water is a basic necessity for human life. If we accept that, surely we have to make sure the entity charged with drawing up a pricing policy and controlling this basic necessity for human life cannot be allowed to be sold. We cannot allow venture capitalists to come in with private equity to fund the resource or the company known as Irish Water. I know Sinn Féin has proposed this. If there are shareholders coming into a company, the shareholders are going to dictate the terms. They will seek profit, which will involve screwing the customers.

Senator Ó Domhnaill must be mixing us up with somebody else.

I am not.

Of course that is what the Senator is doing.

Senator Cullinane should read his party's document.

What document is the Senator referring to?

Senator Ó Domhnaill, without interruption.

He is talking nonsense again.

Does Senator Ó Domhnaill have a question for the Leader?

We are having a debate today on Irish Water. If all Senators in this House look into their own hearts, I am sure they will find they do not want a Chinese investor, an American billionaire or someone from the Asian stock market running and controlling water, which is a finite resource and is a basic necessity for human life. That is what is going to happen here, whether we like it or not. My core belief is that Irish Water as an entity should be disbanded forthwith.

The Senator can make those points during today's debate.

It is not fit for purpose. We can discuss this matter during the debate.

The Senator is making it up as he goes along.

The Senator's party is looking for private investment.