Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Members. It is not my intention to bring the Bill back next week, to be fair to Members. We have other business we need to get finished before the recess.

In terms of the water referendum, I do not have any policy announcement to make to Senator Boyhan. The Government did publish the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025. What the Minister has said about the referendum is that he has no problem having one, provided we have a robust form of wording which does not allow for unintended consequences. That requires a piece of work to be done. We should all reflect upon our political stances around water, given that we are now going to hear cries in the autumn from some Members about the lack of water, about the drought, about investment in infrastructure. Some people and some political parties played football with water to curry favour with the electorate.