Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have spent more than €600 million on advertising, trying to sell a system which nobody wants. We are told Irish Water cannot be privatised without a plebiscite. The only plebiscite which means anything is a referendum which places ownership of Irish Water in the Constitution. Let us not play these silly games. No Minister, and not even the Taoiseach himself, can come in here and guarantee Irish Water will not be privatised, because as soon as the Government is gone next November we have a new Government which might flog Irish Water. It might even pass legislation to do what it wants.