Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

If amendments are put forward that I feel will support and enhance the Bill in either House of Parliament, of course, I will take them. That is the way it is. If I as the representative of the Government feel they are justified and support and improve the Bill, I will take them. However, I will do not so just for the sake of it. I respect the fact that I must bring forward the best legislation possible for the people of Ireland to the best of my ability and the best opinion I can put forward. I will do that here again.

Everyone in this House knows what this legislation is all about. Some comments that were made earlier in the week by a colleague of mine were unnecessary and probably silly to be frank. In respect of lecturing people as regards what will happen if they do not pass this legislation, everyone in here has a mandate and everyone here should be here. Everyone knows exactly what we are discussing and the consequences one way or the other of whatever the result is. This legislation is about amending the previous legislation. If this legislation is not passed, the previous legislation exists. That is just a simple fact. Regardless of whether this legislation is or is not passed, it will not change the fact that Irish Water will exist and operate.

I will comment briefly on a few issues. I will approach it in a thematic fashion rather than by Senator if this is all right because there are so many speakers. The key issue about which most people have spoken is that of the plebiscite. Let me say straight that I believe in personal conviction and am a person who stands over what I believe. I come from a political philosophy that would not tolerate the privatisation of Irish Water in any shape or time. This is what I believe in absolutely. I know that everyone has accepted my bona fides. I have not yet heard anyone in this House or the other, local authorities or anywhere who said that they believe in the privatisation of Irish Water.