Public set to have its say on right to water - Referendum on issue backed by Oireachtas committee

A referendum on ensuring water services are protected by the Constitution and kept in public ownership is looking likely after an Oireachtas committee agreed to recommend the measures.

Attempts to introduce compulsory fittings of water meters in new home builds have also been blocked, in a move that could stall or even finish the domestic water metering programme in Ireland.

Fianna Fáil yesterday blocked Fine Gael efforts to ensure building regulations are changed so that all new homes are fitted with water meters. A private meeting of the Oireachtas water committee saw members debate the promotion of water conservation methods, boosting the role of the public water forum as well as calls for a referendum on keeping water in public ownership.

A draft agenda and working paper for the cross-party meeting had suggested that all “new dwellings and dwelling refurbishments should be legally required to have water meters installed”. This was part of a discussion around conservation.

However, amid threats of a vote by other members, Fine Gael backed down and agreed not to force the inclusion of such a recommendation, with agreement that it may be returned to at a later stage when metering is again discussed.

Fine Gael’s decision not to push that new builds be fitted with water meters for conservation reasons was taken by others to signal that it will back down on the issue when the committee report is done. Fianna Fáil and others on the committee, including AAA-PBP and Sinn Féin, want district metering instead to monitor usage and leaks.

However, Independent sources on the committee said the issue would be revisited when it gets legal advice and returns to debating its report after the St Patrick’s Day Oireachtas break.

Elsewhere, the committee agreed to recommend that constitutional protection be given to public water services so they are not privatised. Members also agreed to formally back the idea of having a referendum on this, depending on what a committee on housing says.

Sinn Féin TD and committee member Eoin Ó Broin last night welcomed the group’s decision to back constitutional protection for the public ownership of water services. “It’s a good day for the Right2Water movement,” he said.

Fine Gael sources said the issue of compulsory metering for new builds had only been ‘parked’ for the moment. “The committee reserves the right to reintroduce the issue of mandatory installation of meters for new dwellings and refurbished properties when legal advice is available,” said a party spokesman.

Fine Gael members say the committee has heard evidence during its hearings that “meters play a significant role in determining data analysis of water usage and identifying leaks”. The party says it is far cheaper to install meters in new builds, than retrospectively.

Fianna Fáil’s Willie O’Dea, another committee member, said his party wanted an end to domestic metering.

Meanwhile, the committee will resume hearings towards the end of the month where division on a so-called ‘excess’ charge for households will be addressed.