The anti water charge group Right2Water have openly challenged Government to prove that they are against the privatisation of the public water supply.
The group which intends to become a fully fledged political party in the near future have suggested the current coalition should prove to itself to the Irish people by putting the controversial issue to a referendum.
The group’s main Organiser Brendan Ogle said that “every politician”, including Environment Minister Alan Kelly, is against privatising Irish Water and the public also wants to ensure it is held by the public. Mr Ogle said the “only thing” he and the rest of the campaign group want is to see the abolition of Irish Water, along with protection of the right to water in the Constitution by way of a Referendum.
Mr Ogle also said he believes such a move would make the Government more popular amongst the Irish public.
Mr Ogle said: “The only way to ensure that is to enshrine, as a responsibility of Government, that water should be managed in the public interest, in public ownership.” “And if Alan Kelly is not for privatisation, the Government could make themselves popular overnight by doing this, of course, they know they are part of a privatisation agenda.”