Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not believe that is true. The Senators thought it was not necessary. Why was it necessary only a matter of weeks ago but it is not necessary now? My opinion as to why it is believed that it is not necessary is because within the Labour Party, the party leader and Tánaiste in discussions with Ministers at Cabinet, told Labour Party Members that this was causing too much difficulty, that they had to toe the Fine Gael line on this and that there would be a halfway house whereby the Government would promise some type of plebiscite. The Minister openly acknowledged, and I welcome the fact that he did, that this piece of legislation can be just changed, as we all know. Nothing is tied in. What cannot be changed that easily is if one has a referendum and it is tied into the Constitution. If it is tied into that, only the people can decide.

I agreed wholeheartedly with Senator O'Donnell only a matter of weeks ago when she spoke so eloquently in here about the ownership of water and why water should not be privatised. I do not believe she could be convinced that what Government has come up in this Bill is sufficient to deal with her concerns and the concerns of probably over 80% of the people in the most recent poll. I do not believe her fears could have been assuaged by what the Government has come up with in section 2 of this Bill which can be removed by any future Government. That section could be stood down. They are real concerns.

Senator Daly outlined ten different U-turns. Since the Government set up Irish Water, things that could not be changed have now been changed. Here is another one the Government said could not be changed. The Taoiseach said only a matter of weeks ago that there was no need for anything and that this was fine. Now it is in the legislation. Let us remind ourselves about what is being done here about Irish Water. The Government has spent €172 million on setting it up. That does not include €540 million on the meters themselves. I am supportive of metering because in future-----