Fórsa has expressed concerns over the delay in a Government announcement of a referendum that could underpin the future public ownership of water services in Ireland.

The union has repeatedly told water service employers that privatisation fears mean its involvement in talks over Government proposals to bring services under the control of a single water authority depend on a referendum taking place.

In May, Fórsa’s local government division conference passed a number of motions that called for an early referendum to guarantee against privatisation.

Fórsa and other water unions, which are in Workplace Relations Commission-assisted talks on the future of water services, have sought simultaneous movement on four strands:

• The future sustainability and revitalisation of local authority services

• A constitutional referendum on public ownership of water services

• The structure and governance of the proposed single water utility, and

• Employment and industrial relations issues that arise from the proposal.