Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has moved somewhat to try to address the issue through legislation. However, the Minister is not in a position to hold any future Government, right, left or centre, to the legislation. The changes he has made are aimed at trying to get the Bill through the Seanad, given that his party members in the Seanad clearly backed the need for a referendum when they voted to introduce a constitutional amendment to ensure water services do not pass into private ownership. The Minister's move strengthens it from the point of view of legislation in this House in that it provides that before any alienation of shares in Irish Water,

(b) a proposal to provide or allow for such alienation is submitted by Plebiscite for the decision of the People, and

(c) a majority of the votes cast in such Plebiscite shall have been cast in favour of the proposal.

However, it is dependent on a future Government holding to the legislation. We have seen how quickly legislation and Governments can be changed. We have seen the pressure that can be put on Governments during financial catastrophes to sell assets to the private sector when it suits. Hopefully, we will never again have a major financial collapse on the scale of the catastrophe of 2007 to 2011. However, we could wind up in a situation in which the big boys in Europe pressurise the Minister or his successor to change the legislation or comply with some European competition legislation. The European Commission has targeted utility services to ensure there is competition. I am concerned that the Minister has gone only some of the distance. I have listened carefully to every word the Minister has said in recent months on the issue, and he seems to be certain in his mind that water should never be privatised. The one certain way to ensure this is to put it into the hands of the people.

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