'Broken promises' as councillors reject motion on water services
Councillors Annemarie Ryan and David Dunne presented a motion to Tipperary County Council
Two Tipperary councillors have called for a referendum on the public ownership of water services.
Sinn Féin councillors Annemarie Ryan and David Dunne presented a motion to Tipperary County Council this week asking that the council write to the Government requesting a referendum on the public ownership of water services to ensure that services aren't privatised.
The motion was opposed by councillors at the full meeting of Tipperary County Council, with councillors Ryan and Dunne saying that Tipperary County Council are "leaving the door open" to privatisation of water services in the future.
In a statement posted on social media after the meeting, the Tipperary Sinn Féin councillors said that the voting down of the motion shows that the local authority isn't worried about the possible future introduction of water charges.
"What this means is that the FF/FG and the Lowry group of councillors do not appear to be worried about the reintroduction of water charges in the future - or possible privatisation - opting instead to fall in line with government colleagues who omitted any commitment to to a referendum on water charges in the Programme for Government," the Tipperary councillors said.
"This u-turn files in the face of FF/FG prior commitment to holding a referendum," the statement continued.
"It is now clear that the future of a publicly owned water service is under real peril," they added.