Mr. Séamas Ó Tuathail:

I will reply to Deputy Jim Daly as best I can. There is no precedent when it comes to a referendum and there never is. While there may be one in case law, the courts and so on, in terms of holding a referendum, in the Constitution there is no such thing as a precedent. There are referenda on different subjects at different times. The various examples the Deputy mentioned are a type of reductio ad absurdum. He is moving down a scale of things that make a nonsense of the proposal. The proposal is to be considered on its own merits and has considerable support. The ultimate outcome would be the outcome of a referendum, should one proceed.

On the Deputy's other complaints which I fully accept are all valid in rural Ireland, I will quote one of the examples I gave to highlight the need for a referendum. I have cited the citizens of Paris, a huge city in France, who saw the cost of water increase by 265% over a 23-year period.

When it was re-municipalised, €35 million was saved in water charges by the city council.