Video: 'Hands off public water' protest at Leinster House by trade unionists

» Mark Moloney

'Selling-off and privatising water will have a major impact on ordinary struggling families'

SIPTU activists were joined by Sinn Féin TDs and senators outside the Dáil on Thursday morning to protest against EU policies promoting the privatisation of water resources.

Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Workers' Rights, Senator David Cullinane, said:

“Selling-off and privatising water will have a major impact on ordinary struggling families right across Europe. So we are fully supportive of this campaign to make sure water remains in public ownership.”

SIPTU Local Authority Chairperson Matt Henry, said:

“With the decision of the Irish Government to establish Irish Water and transfer water assets out of local democratic ownership we have every reason to be concerned. The concern in relation to who owns and controls water is the same across Europe and internationally. Major international companies are lining up to pressurise politicians to open up publicly-owned water for private ownership.”

Sign the petition at www.right2water.eu