Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I still support the constitutional right for access to water and keeping it in public ownership. We were discussing wastewater treatment systems earlier and I reflected that this, probably more than anything else, was debated in the previous Dáil at length and in detail. I do not think we can unpick the solution that was reached in the Oireachtas committee on the approach we have taken on water charges, ownership and local authorities being involved. The Deputy is correct that the industrial relations, IR, issues will have to be resolved through the labour and IR systems of the State. As I understand it, we will not change tack on where Irish Water is going, and the way local authorities work with it.

With regard to a constitutional referendum, there is a long list of different referenda that we need to introduce. Water ownership is one of them. I would not oppose it, but the exact timing and sequencing of them is something that has to be considered by the entire House and the Government.

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