Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last week the Tánaiste gave Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, who I do not see in the House today, a very direct answer to her question. Whatever planned diversionary tactics Deputy Adams and his colleagues came up with at their meeting last week were employed here. The Government will not support the Bill produced by Deputy Brian Stanley because the first part of the Bill would create a constitutional right to water without taking any account of costs or implications for private property rights and without any specific requirement for people to pay for that water. It is not properly considered and it is not thought through.

The second part of the Bill would create a constitutional requirement that water services and infrastructure remain in public ownership. Existing legislation already provides a statutory prohibition on the disposal of Irish Water and its water services infrastructure. In any case, it is not deemed appropriate to amend the Constitution to provide for a prohibition on the privatisation of a utility company.

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