Householders in Co. Roscommon will not have clean water until March 2017, more than a year after the next general election, the Dáil has heard.
As the Government prepares itself for an anti-water charges protest this afternoon outside Leinster House, Independent TD Denis Naughten said he had received correspondence from Irish Water in the last few days it would be 2017 before people in the county’s north eastern region would be able to “drink the water that’s coming out of their taps, which is a long way down the road yet”.
Press Statement - issued 4pm
Tuesday 9 December 2014
People Before Profit Alliance Calls on People To Deregister From Irish Water
Ahead of tomorrow’s Right2Water National Demonstration when tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Dail Eireann to demand the abolition of the water charges, the People Before Profit Alliance is calling on those who have registered with Irish Water to engage in a deregistration campaign.
John Lyons, a Dublin City People Before Profit councillor for Beaumont/Donaghmede stated:
‘ I have received confirmation from Irish Water that those who have registered with the company but wish no longer to be a customer can simply call Irish Water on 1890 448 448 and close their accounts. I know of many people who registered over the last while and now regret having done so: some registered through fear and panic, which is understandable given how hundreds of thousands of families were treated by the Government with regard the Local Property Tax; others registered so as to hedge their bets, looking to avail of the now scrapped “free water allowance” whilst keeping a close eye on the water charges resistance with a view to adopting a non-payment position down the line. And of course,’ continued Cllr Lyons, ‘we know of the thousands of families who returned their Irish Water application packs with no information contained within save for “No Contract, No Consent” and other similar messages of disobedience that Irish Water have actually included in their 930,000 “respondents” figure. Well now, anyone who wants to reverse that registration decision can do so by simply picking up the phone and letting Irish Water know where to go.’
Tina MacVeigh, People Before Profit’s councillor for the Crumlin/Kimmage area, continues: “It is my firm belief that tomorrow’s Right2Water national demonstration will put yet another nail in the coffin that is the superquango called Irish Water. The mass movement of grassroots resistance to the water charges that has emerged over recent weeks and months in villages, towns and cities across Ireland is of such a scale that it has the power to topple this Government. If the Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition thinks it can kick the Irish Water can down the road to the spring of 2016 when the first penalties for non-payment apply and govern the country in the interim, they have another thing coming,’ Cllr MacVeigh stated. ‘The information we have obtained relating to peoples’ right to deregister from Irish Water is welcome as it is yet another opportunity for people to express their disgust of and resistance to the water charges. It will also give confidence to those who have registered but who are now determined not to pay these hugely regressive charges. So I would encourage those people to call Irish Water on 1890 448 448 and
Mel, a few questions. Do you not pay for water at all at the moment? If people deregister as a customer of Irish Water does that mean that their water supply is cut off? Are there plans to privatise the water and introduce competition with lots of water companies like we have here? Sorry to bombard you, just very interested in this. I believe that everyone has the right to water and that the water company should belong to the people, with the bare minimum of charges (ie non profit making) x
ReplyDeleteYes we have all been paying for water since 1997 when two per cent was added to the V.A.T. This though has been quietly forgotten by the present government who set up 'Irish Water' to extract even more money, more so than that they have done nothing about repairing the infrastructure which has on average a 41% leakage in towns and cities.
DeletePeople with their own wells have to purchase and maintain their own pumps and other infrastructure and of course pay for the electricity every time they turn on the tap. Please read previous blog showing the 1997 Act
Also Fran what everybody has omitted to notice is that all of the well owners 30,000+ have also been paying to the cost of the cities & towns water supplies on top of their own costs.
DeleteThank you thank you Mel, I understand a bit more now. Yesterday's protests were all over Twitter, people certainly came out in force. I wish you all luck with your fight x
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