Government to mull water services vote after U-turn

The Government has done a U-turn on the idea of holding a referendum to keep water services in public ownership.

Previously shot down by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the move will now be considered and could potentially be put to voters next May.

Attorney General Seamus Woulfe will consider amendments to a bill from Independents 4 Change TD Joan Collins. The Government says there are problems with the current wording which could have “adverse consequences” for group and private water schemes.

Instead, the legal advisor for the Cabinet will prioritise drafting a constitutional amendment which will focus on keeping the State’s national water authority in public ownership.

Ms Collins told the Irish Examiner that Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy had told her he wanted to hold the referendum potentially next May, to coincide with the local elections. The minister’s spokesman declined to confirm or deny this.

The alternative approach would see the electorate asked to keep “in public ownership the entity responsible for public water and wastewater services”. This is opposed to putting “ownership requirements” on the State of water resources, water infrastructure, or the public water system.

The changes would ensure that the water authority could not be placed in private ownership, the Cabinet was told.

The move reflects a cross-party recommendation from the Oireachtas Committee on Water.

A decision to potentially move ahead with a referendum comes after the controversial subject of charging for water was a key campaign issue in the 2016 general election.

However, the move to consider a referendum comes after Mr Varadkar shot down the idea in October last year. He told the Dáil he did not see how a referendum on water “would make a blind bit of difference”.

Ms Collins last night said that her own legal advisors would need to consider any Government amendment.

Meanwhile, an independent review of the national broadband plan has found that tendering guidelines were not breached, according to reports last night.

Last night, RTÉ reported that the Smyth report into the National Broadband Plan procurement process ruled that the procurement process was not undermined by contacts between former communications minister Denis Naughten and businessman David McCourt.

The report is expected to state that, as a result, the Government can proceed with the process of evaluating the bid.

Mr Varadkar said people named in the report would be given an opportunity to consider the review before it is published.