The Green Party today welcomed approval by the Government for a referendum to ensure the public ownership of water services.
Speaking this morning, Green Party Senator Grace O’Sullivan said: “It’s long past time that Fine Gael recognised the legitimate fears of privatisation of our water services that the Irish public have. We welcome the approval by cabinet this morning for a referendum to ensure the public ownership of our water services.
“Our water services need serious investment. The number of river locations with pure clean water has fallen from 500 sites in the late 1980s to only 21 locations today, according to a recent EPA report. Raw sewage is still being discharged into the environment at dozens of locations around the country. This needs to change, and to do that, investment in water services and environmental protection needs to be taken seriously.”
