Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but Uisce Éireann has a whole battalion of engineers and people who should be capable of project management. The Minister of State and I also know that DBOs are very expensive. Anyone who follows local authority budgets will see that every year in their annual budgets when they look at services that have been provided. While in theory it may be publicly owned, the fear is regarding the amount of private sector control over it. I understand that private companies will have to be brought in to design and build projects, but the level of influence and control can slip very easily.

In relation to the company concerned, one of its partners has been accused by one of the trade unions, Unite, of union-busting in respect of workers who were sacked. The Minister of State will be able to see the slippery slope here. This is not just about protecting the water services, it also about protecting the quality of jobs. In this House, we have a responsibility, because if the cheque is written out here and sent over to Uisce Éireann, we have a job to ensure that we get good value, good outcomes for public money, that it stays in public ownership and that the workers who are providing the services are treated properly. Again, I want to restate my party's position and my own, which is that public ownership of Uisce Éireann needs to be enshrined in the Constitution.

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