Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
JUST OVER A year ago, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that he “doesn’t see a value” in having a referendum on the ownership of Irish Water.
The government had conceded, and water charges were effectively scrapped.
At the time, Varadkar said a referendum was not urgent, stating that there was “no possibility of the privatisation” of Irish Water.
He added:
“It’s impossible.
“Who is going to buy it, nobody. It’s hardly relevant anymore…
“It won’t make a blind bit of difference.”
Water supply and ownership
Fast forward 14 months, and the Cabinet today has given its approval for Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy to contact the Attorney General (AG) to draft amendments to Joan Collins’ Bill on the issue.
The Independent4Change’s Bill proposes a referendum to amend Article 28 of the Constitution as follows:
The government shall be collectively responsible for the protection, management and maintenance of the public water system. The government shall ensure in the public interest that this resource remains in public ownership and management.
The Bill was passed by the Dáil and was backed by the Right2Water campaign and affiliated trade unions.
Collins has previously explained that there are two aspects in the water charges movement – the issue of payment and the issue of ownership.
‘Water is the new gold’
“To get this in the Constitution will close this down… water is the new gold, we have to protect it,” said the Dublin South Central TD last year.
The possibility of having a referendum on Irish Water was first put on the agenda when the Oireachtas Committee charged with producing a report on water charges agreed, unanimously without a vote, that a referendum should be held to include the utility in public ownership in the Constitution.
Today, Cabinet approved consultation with the AG to amend the Bill put forward on public ownership by Collins.
A government spokesperson said there are concerns within the government the Bill, in its current form, stating it is “problematic” and could have unintended consequences, particularly to group water schemes.
It is believed the aim of any text would be to retain public ownership over any body charged with responsibility for the supply of water services.
It’s understood that considerable progress has been made to date, with a lot of work going on in the background to progress the measures.
The government spokesperson said the government is “anxious” to progress on water supply was a key issue contained in the confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáil as well as it being a “reaction to the wishes of the Dáil”.
However, despite what has been approved today by Cabinet it is not yet clear when or if a referendum could be held as that depends, in the first instance, on when the Attorney General returns with any proposals and whether government approval on the drafted amendments can be reached.
Those pushing for a referendum want the matter to expedited with view to holding a referendum in conjunction with the local elections next year.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I heard the DOBBIE stations today hysterically claiming there was no need for a referendum. That convinces me we need one. Otherwise Dobbie and his mates will charge us whatever they like in the future, once they get their grubby paws on it.
@Cal Mooney: It is bad practice to legislate via constitution, the possibilities of unintended consequences are significantly higher and much harder to resolve as another referendum would be required to repair it.
@Cal Mooney: lets have one for no rain.
@Vocal Outrage: Sorry, but I don’t trust Dobbie one little bit. We literally spent on and gave billions to him. I would 10 times rather have to hold a second referendum if it was required than to trust the likes of FF, FG or especially the Labour party to do right by us the taxpayer. How many more tribunals do we have to have that show that a few bought ministers would sell the Irish people out for a few shillings at the bottom of a greasy till.
@Cal Mooney: DOBBIE ,love it! Dobbie radio,Dobbie TV,Dobbie Newspapers,Donnie Petrol and of course the FG’s ,Dobbie Politicians.
@John O Reilly: He who cannot be named will not be happy.
@Cal Mooney: I wouldn’t trust him either, but that doesn’t mean the constitution is the place to legislate, every time this country has tried this approach we’ve made a balls of the amendment
@Vocal Outrage: Collins bill is worded fine. Its FG attempting to mangle it while hiding behind the AG will cause problems.
@Vocal Outrage: This referendum will be the first of two. The second referendum would dictate that we own every resource etc associated with water. If we don’t vote this one through, we will definitely be screwed.
@Vocal Outrage: not if it’s done right the first time. Hard and all as I try I can’t think of any reason not to have a referendum, but I can think of many reasons why it makes sense to have one. Legislation is too easily overturned by the government of the day especially given our penchant for majority governments, this resource is too important to leave to chance.
Their real objective is to eventually force people to pay for the water. As Bad Vad has already stated, he sees no value in it. Irish Water is already set up as a Monopoly. Once the cloak of state ownership is put on it, they can begin to whittle away at any resistance to Water charges. Take a look at your electricity bills. That is what your water bill is going to look like. Water will become as expensive as electricity. With standing charges and VAT etc.
@Patricia McCarthy: Like it or not, the referendum is coming. If we don’t vote to keep it in state ownership, the government will use it as proof that they can privatize it on the basis we didn’t feel strongly enough to keep it under our own control.
@Patricia McCarthy: Take notice also that the standing charges you pay on your electricity bill, in your 3 bedroom semi, are the same standing charges the rich pay, even if they live in a palatial mansion twenty miles from the nearest town, and it cost hundreda of thousands to connect them to the supply. In effect the poor are subsidising the rich. The rich man filling his swimming pool with Irish Water, will be subsidised by the worker living in the 3 bed semi detached.
@Patricia McCarthy: Same with the health service. Rich people get private rooms in public hospitals. Same with rich people driving bigger cars on the same roads poorer people with smaller cars drive on. I would much rather we control the water facilities than let some rich Dobbie type individual get their hands on it.
@Cal Mooney: I agree that the water must be kept in ownership of the people. Irish Water must be disbanded. It is a Monopoly, and it is already under Dobbies control, with FG as his management team.
@Patricia McCarthy: so to be clear, you want water to be owned by the state, yet you have an issue with a monopoly?
@Ronan Fahy: I want the water to be in public ownership, with local people in charge of their own water supply. And all taxation currently being collected by the state for water, to be diverted toward achieving that end.
@Ronan Fahy: I don’t see you arguing in favour of having Gardai under state control. It’s in a mess, but it’s in our control to fix it. Once Dobbie type people get their hands on something as critical as water, the poorest people suffer. Look at the state of private water ownership in the US and scandals breaking out in england.
@Patricia McCarthy: you’re living in cloud cuckoo land if you believe that is possible.
@Liam Mernagh: On the contrary I live very much in the real world. Not that Cuckoos nest in Dail Eireann. There are many other people like me, honest decent people, who can see quite clearly that the implementation of water charges is too much of a burden for us, and many many people that are already hard pressed and struggling to pay bills. The extortioners who planned all this will not find it so easy to persuade people to hand over more money to feather their Cuckoos nest for much longer.
@Patricia McCarthy: That’s pretty funny but I’d probably avoid using Bad Vad as a term because it has Trump ‘Crooked Hillary’ propaganda sounds to it and distracts from your point.
I think what is needed by Right2water is to focus on how the water system can be fixed and paid for rather than saying they won’t pay. The money has to come from somewhere else if not from charges then from cuts to other government spending. They should now focus on what spending should be cut so they can’t be accused of being naysayers. It’s not like there’s a lack of targets to pick.
@Daniel Murray: The billions that were poured into setting up Irish Water came from where? The Cuckoos always seem to have plenty of money when setting up Dobby’s corporations, and pillaging the country. But none when it comes to doing the right thing for the country. I’d take it from the moolah that Bad Bad and his corporate bully boys are swindling. Start with the 5 million that Bad Vad took to set up his bullying propaganda corporation.
Its not just the company we need to put into public hands its the resource also
@George O Neill: Correct. Owning the company is meaningless
@The Risen: I agree this is only the start. Another future referendum will be needed to ensure state ownership of every aspect of our water supply.
@Cal Mooney: Passing a, excuse the pun, watered down version of Collins bill will give FF/FG the cover to refuse another referendum giving full protection for a generation. In the meantime, who knows what manufactured emergency will crop up as an excuse.
We need housing out of the hands of vultures. privatization only creates greed and profits going out of the country. and more control of our hospitals which is also going down the private road.
If there are no water charges then there is no need for a referendum. What private companies would buy Irish Water without a proper income. Water charges are on the agenda again
@Barry C Mc Govern: I wouldn’t trust any Irish politician and I certainly would not trust the permanent government the civil or public servants to cross the road.
@Barry C Mc Govern: if electricity was free I doubt you’d hear, “Turn the light off” as much in households. Water charges are the best way to conserve water. I think there should be a nominal charge so it’s not just the tax payer paying for everybody’s water.
@EDun: Do you pay twice for your electricity?
@EDun: I didn’t say that there shouldn’t be charges. I’m just pointing out that a referendum is the first step in bringing back the charges
@EDun: electricity doesn’t fall out of the sky every second day
@Barry C Mc Govern: of course they are and rightfully so.
@EDun: Good man there ED bend over a lot more for FG. What’s next on the agenda eh? A “media” fee, a second property tax, a death tax…
Public ownership of the company that supplies the water is meaningless. We need a referendum on ownership of the resource and waterways.
@The Risen: We’ll put yourself in charge of that and await the results.
So…. no need for a referendum on water ownership according to Lord Var. However a referendum on blasphemy was an absolute must. Priorities
Here we go again ..get the marching boots out
Have a lovely girls competition instead
@Eoin: more wa’ther…
You now an election is on the cards when water charges and a referendun is being spoken about! The ownership of water should remain with the PUBLIC and NOT a COMPANY owned by the public!
this is a complete red herring, ensuring “irish water” remains in public ownership is irrelevant – it will not prevent privatization. The water itself and the infrastructure must be in public ownership and a declaration that water can never be privatized.
Only reason they are doing this so they can transfer staff. A public worker can not be transferred to a private company hence they want to make it public
Put an extra bit of tax on luxury goods & we pay through taxation as we always have done otherwise we’re ducked! Leave it with the cc who are looking after it anyway! That way it is it brings in well over a billion! Why else would the filthy rich be after it! Billionaires want to control everything you need to live on, enough is enough ffs!
I’ll be berated but I’ll be voting in favour of private ownership of water if it means, firstly, the Govt can commit to lowering tax as water will no longer be taken from general taxation (can’t see this happening), and secondly, if it means water conservation is taken seriously at a household level.
@Hellenize Dublin: Yes, because Irish governments are famous for lowering taxes, aren’t they?
@Hellenize Dublin: Ok hellenize I will be the first. Wheather it comes from general taxation or a charge you will still be getting screwed. The conservation argument is a joke as you already know how we lose nearly half our water through leaking pipes. Ok your berating is over.
@Hellenize Dublin: Take a look at the UK, privatisation has resulted in ever increasing prices, massive profits, under funding of infrastructure they still faced water shortages and hose pipe bans, privatisation of water will not provide a better service.
Water comes from the sky a lot, so it should be free.
Just a FG tactic to enshrine water charges in constitution…damned if we do and damned if we don’t. Vote down the Irish water bill and they will pawn off Irish water to a private company who will have a monopoly on our water supplies, if we vote for it then we will to be effectively voting to pay for it twice and will be charged accordingly…watch this space people in a few years your water bill will be as high as you electricity and gas. We kicked up quite a fuss about water charges but enough time has passed that our contemptible government has decided we’ve forgotten and will be good little lemmings from here on out… And we will..we always are. We’ll dutifully vote for this bill, pay for our water. Twice. And then skip to the polls en masse and re-elect FFG…
I wonder what would’ve happened if they just did this from day one.
@Richard Sweeney: you would be paying about 5/6 hundred euro p.a. & about 50€ would actually pay for your water, the rest is on massive bonuses, cars , holidays, pension ect ect. It’s a dobs & clintons wet dream!
I’d purposely vote in favour of charges just to annoy the trouble makers
@therealcc: You’re going to get the opportunity.
Had the referendum been held when it should have been, at the setting up of Irish Water, whole situation would be dramatically different to what it is now. But of course our stupid government couldn’t seem the woods for the trees and let the whole scheme slip through their fingers, like water, so to speak.
Their incompetence is disgusting & difficult to stomach.
The referendum that the Government proposes intends on amending Joan Collin’s original bill to ring fence Irish Water, the company, from being privatised but it does NOT prevent the water, as a resource, from being sold by Irish Water and other providers in the same market.
It’s like a referendum to chose which stick you’d like to be beaten with. FFS there was no referendum to introduce Irish Water or put meters on everyone’s houses. Just undo.
@Paraic: Well said.
We should be paying water charges
@A B: WE ALREADY PAY ! do you really want to pay a 2nd time ?
@Eric Davies: agreed, people should be checking the (1996) act which states that our water will be paid through motor tax and vrt.
have your say