Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to thank Deputies from all sides for their contributions. While the Government benches have clearly indicated that they will not support our proposal in regard to a referendum, it is clear this has unsettled them. The response of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, yesterday was to promise to enact a legislative amendment to the current legislation, which would be totally inadequate. The insertion of an amendment to have a plebiscite in the event of a proposal to privatise the water service would not even guarantee that a plebiscite would be held. The Minister of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who has just left the Chamber, would be aware of that, because he has a legal qualification. It is hard to imagine that a Government which had made up its mind to sell off the water services would not simply again amend the relevant legislation to remove the commitment to hold such a plebiscite. This means the only way to guarantee that privatisation is prevented would be to hold a referendum along the lines proposed by Sinn Féin. That would be the most democratic means of settling the issue. A simple question could be put as to whether people want Irish Water to remain in public ownership or be sold off to a private company. It is clear that several members of the Labour Party, including party members in the Seanad, share our view on this. I urge them, therefore, to follow their convictions, if they are serious and this is not just public bluster, and vote to allow this Bill to go forward.

Last night, the former Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, claimed the original legislation proposed a legal mechanism that would prevent Uisce Éireann from being sold off or privatised, but this was removed by officials. We can only presume at whose whim that was removed. I presume it was done on the instruction of the former Minister, Phil Hogan, and his senior officials. I must also refer to the astonishment expressed by the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, at Sinn Féin's allegedly ill-judged and badly timed decision to introduce this Bill. I cannot think of a better time for this Bill. I do not know whether he has been outside this building in the past week, but this is the issue and concern of people on the street. They are worried about this issue. He made that claim in light of the lectures on the issue that we have had to listen to since yesterday. People are concerned about this issue, particularly those who vote for Sinn Féin. I have also met many Fine Gael voters who are concerned about it.

First, we initiated this Bill over a month ago, prior to the recent break. We may be many things, but we are not mind readers. The truth is that the Government, in its panic, has done a number of U-turns. It announced ten changes yesterday. It has stumbled from one crisis to another in regard to Irish Water and the water charges. Second, our Bill holds validity, despite any of the U-turns announced by the Minister. As I said earlier, it has even more validity in light of the Government's strange reason for not providing the opportunity of a referendum to allow citizens to decide whether they want a constitutional guarantee against privatisation.

I suspect the Government's opposition to our proposal goes much deeper than the diversionary responses of the Minister and some members of the Government benches. The only conclusion one can draw is that it would not object to selling off the water services at some future date. The evidence certainly points to that, and the Labour Party appears happy to support that and to leave the door open to the implementation of another part of the neoliberal agenda. We have seen much of this attitude since it came to power. At least Fine Gael is consistent in regard to its ideological position and its right-wing agenda. I am not sure where the Labour Party stands in that regard.

Most of the Minister's response had nothing to do with the substance of our proposal.

He spoke about the nature of the protests, water meters and other issues that had nothing to do with the point at issue. There are several conflicting views on the issues discussed yesterday which will be discussed again later today during the debate on the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly's announcement.

Our Bill, while obviously inspired by the current national debate on water services, stands alone, regardless of anyone's opinion on whether Irish Water is fit for purpose or whether there ought to be water charges, which are the two key issues. Sinn Féin and others on this side of the House do not think Irish Water is fit for purpose and we propose that it be abolished, as it cannot continue in its current form.

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