Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My thanks to the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. As he outlined, the uncertainty for local authority staff and water services staff is disappointing. They find themselves in a stressful situation.

I welcome the commitment of the Minister of State to hold a referendum and I look forward to an early date for that. The old adage holds that if it is not broken, we should not fix it. That springs to mind in the context of water services provided by local authorities. Having said that, as long as the views of staff are respected and as long as they are happy - ultimately, with the terms and conditions put in front of them - then I fully support them. The service they have provided to the public, to me as a public representative and to many others has been top class and I am keen to acknowledge the excellent service we get from them. I hope that will be respected by decision makers when a final call is made.