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

However, if the Government gets its way on these issues and Irish Water remains as it is, a successful amendment on retaining water services in public ownership would not conflict with it. Therefore, we must again ask why the Government is so keen to ensure this option will remain for a future Government. The Bill I have brought forward would put control in the hands of the people of the State. The Minister, Deputy Alex White, has talked about the amendment we seek to insert into Article 40. We do so on legal advice. While I know that the Minister has a legal qualification, barristers differ. Doctors also differ and patients die - that is a fact. This is the advice we are going by and we are doing so for a good reason. It is fair enough if the Minister believes it should be inserted into Article 10 of the Constitution. We will not fall out over it and I would certainly not fall out with him over it, if he was willing to back it. However, that is not what he is about. What he is trying to do is belittle the solid proposal we have brought forward. He said it was some kind of diversionary political tactic.

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