Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Local authority water assets and staff were due to be transferred over to Irish Water, Uisce Éireann, on 1 January. It is now 28 February and this has not happened. This is something worthy of public comment, in my opinion. What happened? Water workers across the country rebelled against the framework document which outlined the path to the transfer. The four trade unions that represent water workers have now opposed the document, throwing everything up in the air. Workers will not transfer over until two conditions have been met. The first is that their pay and conditions up to and including retirement be guaranteed, whether they transfer over or choose to be redeployed within their local authority instead. The second is that a date be set for a well-worded referendum to keep water in public ownership. When will this referendum happen?

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