Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach said he did not plan for any referendums for 2014. I suggest that there is a referendum the Government should hold this autumn and the Government would have widespread support for it. Water is a precious resource, crucial to human life in a most vital way, as it is to most forms of life. However, it is also a resource that is cherished by the majority of ordinary Irish people. There is grave concern among large tranches of people in respect of the current Government policy towards our water resources and the setting up of Irish Water, Uisce Éireann, as a corporate commercial entity which makes a commercial commodity of water that can be bought and sold on the marketplace. This is seen by many people, rightly, I believe, as moving in the direction of the privatisation of this vital resource.

The Government has brought in the austerity tax on it, which is disgraceful, but I will leave that aside for the moment because I believe the people will give Fine Gael and the Labour Party a grand wallop, as the Taoiseach might put it, over water taxes in the local and European elections.

The people have paid for the production, supply and treatment of water through their taxes for generations. That is the only reason it arrives in our homes. They want to keep water in public ownership. The Taoiseach has denied our allegations that the privatisation of the water supply is being envisaged down the line and that what is happening now is part of the preparations towards it. The Taoiseach should therefore hold a referendum on the question of whether our water, uisce na hÉireann, will be kept in public hands and in public ownership under the direct democratic sway of our people. I guarantee the Taoiseach that there would be vast support for that.

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