After a walk-through vote, the Seanad has voted by 28 votes to 25 to pass the Water Services Bill.

The Bill passed without any amendments being accepted by the Government.

It will now go to the President for his signature.

A number of Senators are appealing for members of the oireachtas to support their petition calling on the President not to sign the legislation.

Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane said if the legislation passed his party would have no option but to invoke Article 27 of the Constitution in order to ask the President to set aside the legislation.

He said the main Opposition parties along with the technical group supported the petition so it will come down to a small number of independents "to do the right thing" and support the petition.

Under Article 27 of the Constitution, legislation can be referred to the President if half (30) of members the Seanad, and one-third (56) of the members of the Dáil sign a petition to that effect.

It must be done within four days of the legislation being signed.

Article 27 is dependent on one of the Houses of the Oireachtas not passing the bill but Senator Cullinane said it is a provision that is open to them.

Independent senator Gerard Craughwell said fundamental questions remain in relation to the Bill and that it is an extreme insult to the upper house that the bill be brought before the house at the 11th hour and then guillotined.