Dublin - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Public Meeting No Water Charges St Joseph's National School Macroom Rd Coolock Thurs 11 Feb, 8pm

dublin | environment | event notice

Saturday January 30, 2010 15:49

by Martin O'Sullivan - People Before Profit, Swp,

martin.osullivan at peoplebeforeprofit dot ie

66 Edenmore Avenue, Edenmore, Dublin 5 Co. Dublin, Ireland

+353878289243

Water Charges wont save water

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.

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.

We don’t need drinking quality water to flush toilets or wash our clothes, and certainly not to wash cars or water gardens. There are proven systems for the collection of rainwater and ‘grey water’ for functions that do not require water of drinking standard. Grey water is the wastewater produced from washing activities, between 50 to 80 per cent of the total. Installation of dual flush toilets, which handle solid and liquid waste with different rates of flushing, would also make a huge difference.

But behind all ‘environmental’ arguments used in favour of water charges is a longer term agenda. Having succeeded in forcing through the bin tax in most areas, the Government now wants to do the same with water. The aim is undermine the provision of public services, paid for through general taxation, in order to move towards a system of user charges.

Once a charging system has been introduced, the service has a price, and private contractors or corporations can take over the service and run it for profit, leading to rising charges. This has been the experience in Britain, where tarrifs increased by 46 per cent during the first nine years after privatisation, while the operating profits of the companies involved more than doubled.

And we’ve seen how bin charges here have gradually been increased, starting off with miminal charges for tags or ‘per lift’, followed by the addition of annual charges. And now, in the latest Dublin City Council budget, the waiver for those on low incomes has been removed. It had been argued by the supporters of the bin tax that people on low incomes would be protected but ultimately they weren’t, just as we argued at the time. The same thing would be very likely to happen were they to succeed in introducing water charges.

And that’s where we can make a difference. The water charges campaign in the mid 1990s scored a major victory for people power when, through a mass campaign of resistance, it forced the then Labour/Fine Gael government to abolish water charges, not just in Dublin but across the country.

We can defend that victory and prevent the introduction of water charges if we start organising the fightback now.

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Comments (10 of 10)

Knowledge the key

by Second Stream

Mon Feb 15, 2010 17:34

I think everyone posting here has a point, however, I do think that people do need to get focussed on how much they are using up in terms of water - whether they pay for it or not. You all hear the argument comparing water usage to electricity - everyone accepts electricity bills now, but in terms of usage - you would'nt go to bed at night and leave everything on would you ?? No ! because you now have a 'respect' for how much electricity you use because you are charged for it "!
I think that if meters were installed, but users were able to see for themselves how and when they use their water by means of systems that are available now, that we could all cut out on wastage. It wont mean only having half cups of tea - just not leaving things running, or fixing those leaks, or using recycled water or grey water.
There will be the free allowance of water which will be more than enough to cover for normal usage but we need to stop the apathy towards indiscriminate wastage. Get a waterspy system, keep an eye on the meter readings or something, know where you are wasting water and then never be billed for using too much - simple ! All of this would help to reduce the demand on water reserves - if everyone reduced by, say, 10 % - the difference that would make and only those foolish enough not to care would have to fork out ????

How it went.

by Mark P - Socialist Party

Thu Feb 11, 2010 20:45

Martin, it's probably best not rise to the bait.

On a more constructive note, when the meeting is over it would be interesting if you could post a report here.

This meeting is organised to get people from the coolock area into the meeting on saturday.

by Martin O'Sullivan - People Before Profit,

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:34

martin_osullivan at eircom dot net

66 Edenmore Avenue, edenmore, Dublin 5 Co. Dublin, Ireland

How can this meeting split the anti water charges campaign? since it is called precisely to get people from the coolock area to go to the meeting on Saturday 13th, which was organised by the SP?

Can the posters condemning this meeting put up evidence to say that it will split the anti water charges campaign?

In answer to the question
"How about this, why couldnt you just go to the SP meeting, instead of splitting the campaign in two? Simple question"

That is exactly what this meeting is for to get people from the coolock area into the meeting in the teachers club.

story

by M o'c

Mon Feb 01, 2010 23:51

i was talking to SPer on sunday. The SWP & PB4P were invited to the meeting on 13th. the meeting is organised thru Joe Higgins office. he has written to members of the old anti-water charges campaign inviting them to take part

to activist

by Conor. M

Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:51

I couldn't agree more. I am looking forward to getting involved, and beating the water charges. No doubt I will be working alongside Clare Daly SP as she lives close by, and that is fine with me. But the problem is parties using the campaign to score 'political goals'. This post shows a disturbing trend, it really shows the nature of the left in Ireland.

If we cant work together on this issue, we are doomed with FF/Green(or other) or FG/Lab forever, until our poor little planet runs itself into the ground.

Is this really the final destination of human civilization?

what matters more.....

by Activist

Mon Feb 01, 2010 04:13

the issue or which political party is organising the meeting? Ye should both get over yourselves, cancel both meetings and hold a non aligned "water charges" inclusive meeting of all left parties and concerned individuals against water charges. Stop squabbling and weakening every issue over your bloody political careers

on second thoughts

by what

Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:46

How about this, why couldnt you just go to the SP meeting, instead of splitting the campaign in two? Simple question

it is pathetic

by what?

Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:44

Yeah, you've certainly touched on all the points there.

really?

by pbpa - pbp

Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:19

Pathetic? Really? I'll tell you what next time pbp decides its going to decide to run someone for election, call a meeting, call a protest, we'll give you a call and run it by you first- hope that clears things up.

I can hardly believe my eyes

Sun Jan 31, 2010 11:11

This post is nothing less than pathetic.

The PBPA (Socialist Worker Party) know very well that the Socialist Party have organised a forum weeks ago for just two days after this meeting.

You have already shown you are willing to split the anti-water charges campaign to further your own selfish cause. Your an absolute disgrace and this post shows you care more about your own skin than the people. The PBPA should be ashamed.

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Public Meeting No Water Charges St Joseph's National School Macroom Rd Coolock Thurs 11 Feb, 8pm

Comments (10 of 10)