Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I support this amendment. Turning to my amendment No. 9, fundamentally there is nothing to stop the Government from setting a date for a referendum on this issue now. It could be done and should be done. This has been talked about for years. We need the Government to finally get off the fence on this issue and to name and set a date. If the Government were to do this, then we could then start to move forward on this topic.

Deputy Ó Broin said this or a future Government could end up trying to privatise our water services if this right is not enshrined in the Constitution. As I said before, there is always the risk that if things go bad economically we could end up in some sort of Troika situation again where bodies external to Ireland could, as a condition of providing loans, finance or anything else, stipulate that one requirement was the privatisation of water services. If the right to water is enshrined in the Constitution, then this possibility would be off the table. It could not happen and could not be done. It would not be possible to argue with the Constitution and what is in it. This is, therefore, the best possible way of safeguarding our water resources. I refer to drinking water and wastewater servicers, which are so key to everything in our lives. I urge the Government to name a date in this regard as quickly as possible so we can get on with this process.

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