Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Byrne has put forward an innovative proposal. The Minister acknowledges that it may provide a way of responding to public concern in this regard. I suggested earlier to Senator Byrne that this might not be the correct section for the amendment. Given that it is about the public forum, perhaps it should be in section 7. The Minister indicated that an amendment of this nature might not be appropriate to the terms of reference of the forum. As Senator Byrne noted, the terms of reference for the forum provide that it can carry out activities in respect of such other matters as the Minister by order specifies. The Minister suggested that it might not even be possible to give that kind of order to the forum, but under section 7 he has the power to request it to carry out other activities. I welcome that he ended his contribution by indicating that he would explore this issue with his colleagues.

That is what the Minister said when the Labour Party Senators voted in favour of the Government bringing forward legislation for a constitutional referendum to ensure public ownership of Irish Water. The motion was not that the Government would consider bringing forward legislation but that it would bring forth legislation. The Minister said that he would explore that with his colleagues and he did so but that did not work out and we now find ourselves here again debating the issue.

I would be more satisfied - perhaps my colleagues would be too - if the Minister were to tell us that he is determined to find a way for this issue to be discussed within some kind of public forum and will bring recommendations in that regard to the Oireachtas. The Minister said that he went as far he could in terms of getting Government agreement on a plebiscite. Unlike Senator Cullinane, I do not believe that if the Minister went to Government and indicated he was determined to find a way to do that, he would be contradicting what he said earlier. I would love to hear him say that he is determined to find a way for this issue to be discussed within some kind of public forum and will bring back to the Houses of the Oireachtas a proposal in that regard.