Minister for Local Government Simon Coveney has confirmed the Coalition will not oppose legislation to allow a referendum on the future of water services.

He told the Dáil, however, it was “imperative” the Bill underwent pre-legislative scrutiny to ensure it did not result in unintended consequences.

Fianna Fáil has already indicated its support for the Thirty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) Bill, introduced by Independent TD Joan Collins who stressed that both the ownership and the management of water services should remain in public ownership.

Sinn Féin, the AAA-PBP, the Labour Party, Independents4Change, the Green Party and the Social Democrats support the Bill, which with Fianna Fáil gives the Opposition a majority on the Bill.

Two-thirds majority

Fianna Fáil local government spokesman Barry Cowen said: "The members of this Dáil will if necessary amend the Constitution to ensure these facilities, networks and services remain in public ownership for all time."

He too stressed the need for pre-legislative scrutiny during debate on the Bill and suggested there could be a requirement for a two-thirds majority in the referendum.

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, while noting Fianna Fáil's support for the Bill, said: "We need to have a clear commitment that this will actually end up, not buried in some committee, but will be a referendum."

Water charges had been an issue for years in part “for the dishonest way it was gone about”. Ms Murphy said one of the big issues was a group of people who appeared to be the “golden circle” who were going to benefit from it.

Mr Coveney said to the Opposition: “We may disagree over how to fund water services but we do have a common view on keeping water in public ownership.” There were issues around tendering certain jobs and certain processes, he said.

He rejected claims Irish Water was designed to be privatised. "I know that was not the case and I think that has been borne out" in the two pieces of legislation passed on water services.

Ms Collins said the Bill did not call for the end of water charges or the abolition of Irish Water, although she retained the right to reconsider this position.

She said it did not aim to bring systems meant for private use into the public water system, such as group water schemes or private water bores.

But she said that if the referendum passed, water services and their management would be the sole responsibility of the Government.

“They cannot sell them off or pass them on to for-profit management companies.”

Ms Collins said that in England and Wales 23.6 per cent of people lived in water poverty because of privatisation and 19 water companies had profits in excess of €2 billion.

“This must not happen here,” she said. “I understand that there are likely to be attempts to dilute wording of this Bill as it goes to committee stage.”

She said the best defence against this would be the continuance of the public movement. Lawyers had drafted the legislation which she said could be accepted without amendment.

Outsourcing

Independents4Change TD Mick Wallace said: "Unless we get rid of Irish Water we might as well privatise it". He claimed Irish Water was "outsourcing anything they have got on their table right now".

Four companies with contracts were “carving out the country” and had taken over design, construction and operation. “We’re giving them powers that will be almost uncontrollable in years to come,” he said.

He claimed there was “mayhem” and “huge problems” out in Ringsend at the sewage treatment plant. He said a subsidiary of Anglian Water in the UK “are being allowed to print money because of the contracts they have”.

Hitting out at one of the contractors Veolia, he said: "In America they're all over the shop and they have been thrown out of several cities for introducing cost-cutting measures at the cost of quality."

Mr Wallace added: “They’re going to take over water in this country unless we take over Irish Water.”

Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley, who previously introduced legislation to allow for a referendum on the future of water services, said he had wanted the referendum held on the same day as the same-sex marriage poll. It would be in place now, he added.