Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government Simon Coveney has said he will not be "bounced into" a holding a referendum on public water ownership.
Mr Coveney has told an Oireachtas Committee that he is awaiting legal clarity from the Attorney General about the proposed referendum.
Last November, Independents4Change TD Joan Collins tabled a bill that called for a referendum to be held to put the public ownership of water into the Constitution.
The bill is undergoing detailed scrutiny at this morning's meeting of the Oireachtas Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government Committee.
Mr Coveney said: "We will continue to take advice from the AG. Changing the Constitution is a big deal and if you get it wrong, it is a big deal to correct it. It's not like legislation as you have got to have another referendum."
He said he asked the Attorney General for advice and "I have it clear to her that this is what we are trying to do. This is not a blocking exercise. But we want to get it right.
"In my view there are issues here that I need to get legal clarity on. Until I have that I cannot give you a definitive position as to whether it is problematic or not. But I suspect that there are issues here that we need to be reassured on.
"If we can't get that reassurance then we need to change the wording so we are covered for the areas of concern.
"There has never been a plan to privatise Irish Water or the Irish water system. What there was, was a plan to try and introduce a much more efficient and cost effective way of delivering water with a conservation based approach and a utility based approach towards trying to provide water."
Mr Coveney added: "I think we need to be cautious around changing the Constitution through a referendum. We need to learn lessons from the past and we need to try and get it right."
Mr Coveney pointed out that he is being asked to respond to legislation drafted by Ms Collins.
Normally a Government brings forward legislation that has been produced after getting legal advice, he said.
"I will not be bounced into something that I regard as having not been fully legally tested. I am afraid people are just going to show a little bit of patience.
"When we get that response I can come in and talk about it and provide suggestions about how we can improve the wording. If it is not necessary then we can proceed."
