Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this acknowledgement. The Labour Party supported the Water Services Act that gave the plebiscite guarantee, but, to be blunt, it is not good enough. People want further assurance and want to hold it in their own hands. That is why we need a constitutional referendum. I welcome the views of the Minister in this regard. Let us agree across the House that we will do that. That would be one thing off the agenda.

A second issue arises in respect of those law-abiding citizens who have paid the charges. The matter was pursued by Deputy McDonald, but to no clear view. Anyone who believes that people are going to be pursued and that Irish Water is going to get that money now is being fanciful.

It is absolutely a requirement, if charges are not to be imposed, that they are not imposed on anybody. I, therefore, want an assurance from the Minister that the Government will ensure that those law-abiding taxpayers who, for whatever reason, paid their water charges in good faith will have all the moneys they paid fully reimbursed in order to achieve what the commission has recommended, that is, that citizens who paid should not be treated less favourably than those who did not.

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