Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I do not know whether the Minister is aware of the situation facing water service workers in local authorities. They have been working under a service-level agreement whereby they are employed by local authorities and provide services to Irish Water. That was due to end in 2026. Today and tomorrow, water services workers are withdrawing their services from Irish Water in Cork south, Waterford, Dublin and parts of Tipperary. They plan to include more areas and repeat their action next Tuesday and Wednesday. They are making themselves available to their employers, the local authorities. Why are they taking this action? There are very much concerned about the recent Workplace Relations Commission framework plan, their public service status and their pension rights as local authority employees. They are hugely concerned that those workers who choose to remain in the local authorities will be redeployed. The local authority management organisations are indicating they will not redeploy the workers. The workers want a ballot on the plan. They also want a clear commitment that a constitutional referendum on the public ownership and management of water services will take place and that a date and wording will be provided. The Minister cannot do anything about the industrial relations issue, but what I suggest is one of the things he can do to meet the concerns of the workers.

The Minister supported it in 2014. Will he go to the Government and demand a date and wording for it?

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