The Municipal Employees division of IMPACT has called for a constitutional referendum to guarantee Ireland’s water resources be protected from any future privatisation. The call was made at a meeting of the division’s executive on Monday (3^rd November).

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said “The Irish government should take advantage of the national debate on water services to ensure that the mistakes made in other countries should not be repeated.”

Peter said that international experience of water privatisation had seen european capitals, including Paris, Berlin and Budapest, take their water and sanitation services back into municipal control. He added “If we can give our water services that constitutional protection it would guarantee that Ireland would never have to face the prospect of water privatisation.”