A resolution designed to halt the privatisation of water services has been adopted by Cork City Council. Proposed by Workers Party President Councillor Ted Tynan the motion urged the council to contact the three trade unions currently involved in discussions about transferring council staff to the new Irish Water body.

The motion was passed almost unanimously with only one councillor voting against.

Cllr Tynan said,” If these negotiations are successful, they will have a major negative impact on the ability of local authorities, such as Cork City Council, to continue to provide essential services to its citizens, and, most importantly, will lead to Irish Water becoming a private company, resulting in our water, waste water treatment, and sewage services falling into private ownership”.

The main political parties, North and South, are quite comfortable to turn public utilities into private companies. They have no qualms about a society where the relentless pursuit of profit takes priority and everything is measured by its retail value alone. Nor have they any difficulties acting as the broker in converting public ownership into private profit.