Water is a human right, essential for life. It is not a commodity to be bought and sold. The European Union is demanding that the Government introduce charges for water, in order that it can be privatised as soon as it is profitable. The only way to prevent this is to amend the Constitution of Ireland to guarantee the public ownership of water. We support the amendment being proposed by Right2Water, as follows: “The Government shall be collectively responsible for the protection, management and maintenance of the public water system. The Government shall ensure that this resource remains in public ownership and management.”