Getting an education to be made thirsty work

national | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis

Friday December 14, 2007 08:20

by Seán Ryan

Bertie blames water framework directive for water charges in schools.

Water charges are on the way for schools. This is despite underfunding already being endemic in Irish education - kids being taught in prefabs for example.

Questions are beginning to be asked as water meters are being installed in schools.

Bertie Ahern on Wednesday in the Dail, side-stepped responsibility for the extra burden on schools by declaring that it was the fault of the European Water Framework Directive: At that stage all the submissions for derogation were put forward. From this country’s point of view the big issue in those negotiations on the directive a decade ago was to achieve derogation for domestic water rates for residential use and we achieved that after a significant debate and battle. We did not achieve derogation in other areas, schools being one of those areas and therefore the EU water framework directive 1999 is being implemented.

School capitation grants have been increased over several years. The directive is based on methods of water conservation with which we are all in agreement. The programme for installing water meters in schools has commenced and it will take some time as there are more than 4,000 schools in the country. There is a need to achieve some kind of agreement on standards between the local authorities and the Departments of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and of Education and Science.

This is the implementation of the EU water framework directive. Metering will help but the framework directive is based on conservation of water and therefore is based on use. This is the law we signed up to in 1999.
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20071212...8#N28
From Wednesday 12 December 2007

Why is it only now that our elected representatives are asking questions about charges for water in our schools?

More than a year ago it was reported on Indymedia, on Tuesday October 24, 2006, to be precise. Water charges for schools was reported on too: The EU policy he is referring to is called the Water Framework Directive, which requires ‘pricing policies’ to be in place by 2010.

“He (Jim Cullen) added that the metering system was a requirement under an EU directive and it is designed to conserve water by encouraging users to waste less. It is based on the user pays principle and should benefit the environment.”

Very interesting bit of flawed logic in that last sentence as it is not water itself that costs money but rather the infrastructure, which is used by consumers equally. Therefore the costs, if any, should be borne equally by all consumers. I had assumed, wrongly it seems, that that is where our taxes went. Another double taxation anyone?

Schools and Farms, to take two examples, are high users, which under the ‘user pays’ principle would see their costs rocket. The social effect of this policy does not appear to have been a factor in the decision making process. As will become painfully apparent in a few short years when the domestic consumer is expected to pay for their water too, as per the European Water Framework Directive. And you thought the bin tax was unpopular!
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/79249

This all comes amidst confirmation that children are leaving education in bigger numbers than ever. In Limerick recently it has finally been made public that in disadvantaged areas (most areas in Limerick) that the amount of children leaving school early has reached epidemic levels.

Well at least they'll need less water I suppose.