Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand that the Bill is still under consideration. As to the appropriateness of any wording, I have not spoken to the Attorney General about it for some time so I will have to do so in the coming weeks and see where he is with it. I would point out, however, that any urgency on the referendum on the ownership of public water has gone. When Irish Water was set up as a semi-State company with water charges to cover most of its income, I can understand that there was a concern, even if I do not agree with it, that it might have been privatised in the future. There is now absolutely no possibility of our public water services being privatised because they require a State subvention of €1 billion a year, both capital and current, just to exist. Privatising our public water services is like suggesting that somebody might want to privatise our national schools: it is impossible and absurd. I can understand that there was a worry about this, even though it was not a legitimate one, when we were going the commercial semi-State route. Now that we are not, however, it is hardly relevant anymore. I would like to prioritise referenda over the next few years that actually make a difference and might actually change something. I just do not see the value of having a referendum to say that we cannot privatise our national schools, our cemeteries or the like.

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