Water drops even lower on the agenda for incoming government – Thomas Gould TD
27 January 2025
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, has today slammed the incoming government for failing to include a commitment to a referendum on water in the Programme for Government.
Teachta Gould said:
“Once again Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have broken another promise to the people. They gave a firm commitment in the last government to progress with a referendum on public ownership of water. Instead, it is mentioned nowhere in the Programme for Government and the former Minister has confirmed to me that it will not happen under this government.
“I am deeply concerned that we will see Fine Gael’s agenda of privatisation, supported by Fianna Fáil, try again to introduce water charges to the Irish people. These were resoundingly rejected a decade ago and I don’t believe there is any mandate to attempt their reintroduction.
“We hear an awful lot from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about how careful they’ve been with the economy yet with all of this money, they can’t provide clean safe drinking water to my constituents.
“I cannot imagine the anger on the Northside if they try to tell us we must pay for the brown sludge coming through taps. It would be an awful decision but without a referendum on water, this always remains a possibility.”
