David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It does not mean anything. There may not be any vote in the Oireachtas, there may not be any plebiscite, there may not be anything, because it could just be amended if a Government wants to do that. That is the simple reality. Examples were given earlier of industries that were deregulated and it does raise concerns about Irish Water and what could happen there in the absence of a referendum. The example was given of telecommunications, when Telecom was deregulated and we then had multiple operators. The example of the ESB was also given and we now have a number of different operators operating in that market. How can the Minister say the same thing will not happen with water? How can he say categorically that we will not see the deregulation of our water services?

The Minister has not at all dealt with the root of this problem, which goes back to the European Union Water Framework Directive and the wider policy in Europe, which is to liberalise, deregulate and privatise services. That is where all of this is coming from in the first place. We had a derogation for years in relation to water charges. The Minister knows that the thrust of European policy is to take us in this direction. I have already articulated what will happen once the charges are introduced. I made the point in my Second Stage speech to the Minister, and I will make it again: he is like a second-hand car salesman, coming in here, trying to ask us buy-----