Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá sé breagach. The Government was going to sell it off.

Sinn Féin was right to have this debate tonight. The debate on water proposals should have taken place over the past week. There is no point in the Government's coming to the House tomorrow, putting a proposal and stating that we can debate it all we like but not as much as a full stop will be changed. That is a stupid way of doing business. The debate should happen first and, after everybody has been listened to, proposals should be put forward in a way that is open to flexibility and change if good arguments are put forward. The Government has decided to listen to nobody, as those opposite have indicated their belief that tonight's debate is a waste of time.

I can put a challenge to the Minister of State. There is an easy way to put the water issue beyond doubt. For example, the Government could pass legislation stipulating that it would take an 80% majority of the House to pass a proposal to privatise any part of water services now in public ownership. It is easily done, but let us see if the Government will do it. To be honest, the Government is telling us that because something is in law the company cannot be privatised, but on any day a majority of Deputies can be told to dance and will do so. That means there is still no protection for the people. Do I trust the Government? No, I do not. It spoke about privatising Coillte or the forest crop but we managed to put it off that as well.

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