Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I oppose the Bill. It is important to recognise that as a result of the significant gains made by those campaigning against water charges, there will be no immediate return to water charges as we have known them. Those who did not pay water charges will not be pursued and those who paid will receive refunds. The metering of existing and unrefurbished dwellings remains halted. All of this welcome. The effect of the Bill is to make domestic water a tradeable commodity under EU law. The payments for excess water usage that will have to be made under the Bill represent the commodification of water. This will facilitate the phasing back in of water charges over time by this or a future Government. It may also prevent the holding of the proposed anti-privatisation referendum, or result in the use of a changed wording in the event of such a referendum, given that new private suppliers of water will be entitled to enter the market under EU competition law. The Bill rules out, or does not provide for, the possibility of a referendum to enshrine in the Constitution this country's ownership of its water and water infrastructure. A deliberate decision has been made. My amendment to provide for the holding of such a referendum has been unfairly and wrongly ruled out of order. The anti-water charges campaigners will certainly not allow water charges to be reintroduced. Any attempt by this or a future Government to provide for their reintroduction will be challenged head-on by those of us involved in the anti-water charges campaign, just as we did in the past three years.

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