Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State said, we had a report in 2017 report and we have a commitment to a referendum in the programme for Government. It is now five years since the report was published and more than five years since most people felt this matter had been settled and consensus was achieved on the need for a referendum to provide assurance in the Constitution that our water infrastructure would stay in public ownership. However, we are still left without a referendum.

The Minister of State made the relevant point that what has happened in some other countries has not always been driven by governments but has sometimes been driven by the IMF or external bodies. I do not believe and I certainly hope that we will not be in such a situation any time soon but we never know what will happen. We need protections in the Constitution, as otherwise economic turmoil or spillover from the disastrous situation in the UK at the moment could lead to a Government being told that, whether it likes it or not, privatisation must go ahead. If we had a provision in the Constitution, that would be off the table. The IMF or anyone else could say whatever it wanted but the Constitution would provide full protection and we would not have to worry about the issue. That is one reason that, notwithstanding the fair amount of political consensus on this issue at the moment, having this provided in the Constitution is a good idea.

It is positive that the Minister of State reiterated the point about holding a referendum at the same time as a referendum on housing but we do not have a date or timeline for the latter either. My concern is that we are halfway through this Government and we never know what could happen. If the Government were to end early due to unforeseen circumstances and these referendums are not held, the matter is then on the plate of the next Government. The failure of the Government to give a firm time commitment is the reason I am concerned. Unless the Minister of State can give us a timeline for the referendum, I will press the amendment.