Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate.

The wording of the Bill states: "The State recognises the right of all people to safe, adequate and accessible water, and will protect that right and ensure its management, treatment and distribution remains in public ownership." I fully agree with these sentiments in the Bill and believe they should be added to the Constitution. Water is critical for all life, and clean, accessible and readily available water is essential for any modern society. It should not be a commodity which is for sale on the open market. That does not mean that clean and freely accessible water should be taken for granted. Water requirements for our people now and into the future need to be respected, appreciated and protected by the Government.

Retaining water services in public ownership is essential and the Bill will guarantee this, should it or another Bill be successfully incorporated into our Constitution. Water is an essential resource and, luckily, it is freely available in Ireland. It should be metered and its usage measured. A generous volume should be provided free of charge, but excessive use should have a cost. This will encourage conservation and realistic use of our water.

Care must be taken to ensure that public ownership of water is placed in our Constitution in a clear, unambiguous and comprehensive manner. We need to be sure that whatever is inserted into our Constitution does what is intended to do. The debate on Irish Water has been heated and, for many reasons, often confrontational over the past nine months. By ensuring that water in Ireland is constitutionally protected from privatisation we will take some of the confrontation out of future debates, which is to be welcomed. It is only through calm, rational debate that the best outcome for our water management structures will be reached.

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