Water charges on the way?

Fianna Fáil and the Greens now seem determined to make another attempt at forcing domestic users to pay on the double for our water.

The Green Party leader, John Gormley, is leading the charge. He said recently that it would cost around €1bn to upgrade the water network and that the Government intended to raise the money from domestic users, leaving householders paying hundreds of euro a year in addition to the tax we already pay for public services.

Gormley wants to introduce a water metering system with charges applying to any water used above a free allocation. It is claimed that only when users have to pay for water will they realise the value of it and stop wasting it. Gormley took full advantage of the water shortages during the ‘big freeze’ in January to ‘prove’ this point. If people had been paying for water, they wouldn’t have left their taps running.

But the facts tell a different story. Years of under-investment mean that up to 50 per cent of water in some areas is lost through leaking pipes. The antiquated pipes made them particularly prone to bursting during the big freeze. Instead of trying to introduce a water metering system that would be expensive to install and costly to administer, the Government should invest in upgrading the network and encourage water conservation measures.

Speakers:

• Margaret O'Shea: Kerry Network of People with Disabilities (CDP)
• Simon Quinn: Kerry Public Sector Workers Alliance
• Councillor Brid Smith: People Before Profit (Dublin)

Venue: Grand Hotel, Tralee

Date and Time: Thursday, February 11th., 8.00pm.

All Welcome!

Ph: 087-6716009 for further information.

All Welcome!