21st Feb 2016
Irish Water Enda and Co’s Greatest Own Goal- Liam Coyne.
Liam Coyne the Social Democrats Candidate for Dublin South Central has said the introduction of water charges is the outgoing government’s most embarrassing failure.
Throughout the campaign Liam has assured the people of Dublin South Central that the Social Democrats are committed to the abolition of both Irish Water and water charges.
“When the history of the 2011-2016 administration is written it will give some detail to the disastrous introduction of unfair water charges and the highly costly expense to the taxpayer of setting up Irish Water.”
“This has to go down as Enda and Co’s biggest own goal.”
“They started off by threatening to charge people hundreads of euro in annual charges for using small amounts of water,” Liam said.
“What they originally proposed to do would have caused massive hardship for everybody. They initially refused to budge on the issue before being forced in an embarrassing U-turn,” Liam added.
“Despite what Minister ALan Kelly might think water charges is the main issue on the doorsteps of Dublin South Central,” said Liam, adding there is a lot of anger out there over water charges..
“It they are re-elected this government might want to charge us for the use of fresh air,” said Liam.
Despite the millions that have been spent the irony is that money being charged on domestic water charges is not being used to run, or to upgrade, the water system.
“Even if everyone paid their water bill, the money collected would do nothing other can cover the costs of the water meters and the costs of billing.” said Liam.
Liam added that the meter rollout programme should be stopped. The party also promises a full and open financial review of Irish Water should be conducted to identify what cost savings can be achieved each year and how they can be reinvested in the water system.
Irish Water should be abolished and reconstituted as a public body, rather than as a commercial semi-state, to ensure it can never be privatised. Access to water is a basic human right.
“It is an insult to people to set up a utility which the outgoing government clearly established in a way designed so it could be privatised and sold off to some corporation.”
“How anyone could vote for parties that would sell off the water of Ireland to a major corporation beggars belief. ”
If this government had its way they would sell off the GPO to a fast food chain or an Airline for naming rights,” said Liam. “Michael Noonan would on hand on a red carpet to greet the corporate buyers with a harpist and dancers,” added Liam.
What is also incomprehensible is the main political orchestrators of the Irish Water debacle were not made accountable, but were rewarded for their efforts. Phil Hogan should be recalled as Irish EU Commissioner,” Liam added.
Ends.