Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are two ways we can do that. We can pass legislation insisting on a plebiscite or we can pass legislation that puts it to the people for a referendum. The Minister's preferred mechanism for ensuring Irish Water is never privatised is a plebiscite.

My preferred mechanism is a constitutional amendment. Let us assume the Minister and I are both trying to achieve the same thing. There is a gaping flaw in the Minister's approach that a future Government can change the legislation which does not insist on a plebiscite being held. Therefore, a referendum should be held because such a measure cannot be changed by a future Government. The suggestion is, "Trust us," but it is not even a case of trusting the Government but of trusting future Governments. However, the people do not trust it and none of us should. If we have unanimous agreement in the House which may or may not be the case that Irish Water should never be privatised, why choose a mechanism that can be bypassed by the Government over one that cannot be bypassed by it? The more people appreciate the Government's position, the more compelling the argument becomes to provide for the holding of a referendum. I asked the Minister on Committee Stage, but he did not have an opportunity to answer. If the aim of both a referendum and a plebiscite is to try to have a vote of the people before any privatisation takes place, what is the advantage in having a plebiscite over a referendum?

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