LABOUR SUPPORTS PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF WATER
Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, Labour Party spokesperson on Housing, Planning and Local Government said: “The Labour Party has always supported the public ownership of our water infrastructure.”
“Our colleague Willie Penrose published a Bill in July this year outlining those principles and calling for an amendment to our Constitution. The Labour amendment would ensure that the electricity, gas and water networks continued to remain in public ownership.”
“On that basis, Labour Party TDs will be supporting the Private Members Bill to amend the Constitution this week from Deputy Joan Collins.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Willie Penrose TD proposed a bill on 7th July 2016 entitled ‘Thirty-fifth Amendment of The Constitution (Public Ownership of Certain Assets) Bill 2016’. The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Constitution so as to provide for the retention of certain public utilities in public ownership. If the amendment is approved at a referendum, it will not be possible for the Oireachtas to pass legislation to approve the privatisation of the companies that own our gas or electricity transmission and distribution networks or the public water supply and waste water treatment infrastructure.
This would have inserted the following text in the constitution:
‘The electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks and the public water supply and waste water treatment services shall be maintained in public ownership.’