The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is calling for a constitutional referendum to protect the water services against any future privatisation.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Environment, Brian Stanley TD, has welcomed the decision.

The ICTU conference at Ennis also voted to reject the imposition of domestic water charges.

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Deputy Stanley said: "The ICTU has now recognised, along with Sinn Féin and others, that the legislative commitment to hold a plebiscite in the event of a proposal to sell off the water services is an inadequate protection. That could simply be overturned by a future Government that had decided to privatize water.

"Therefore the only certain way to ensure that water remains in public ownership would be to have a constitutional referendum to include a clause preventing privatisation. I am almost certain that this would be passed in a constitutional referendum put before the people."

(CD/MH)