Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Can we start being real in this Chamber? Can we engage in real politics and try to find real solutions that will help people create more jobs and assist our SMEs?

Irish Water is already subject to the freedom of information legislation. What Deputy Mattie McGrath believes is not covered is unclear. In regard to the provision requiring that Irish Water be a fully publicly-owned entity which is prohibited from entering into a public-private partnership, Irish Water is already a publicly-owned utility. The Government is committed to its remaining in public ownership. Furthermore, to address public concerns regarding privatisation by a future Government legislation has been introduced requiring that any such proposal be put to a plebiscite of the people. I do not propose to waste my breath any further discussing whether it will be privatised. We all know that will never happen.

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