Water charges body chair slams left-wing politicians' stance

July 4, 2016

The chairman of the new water charges expert commission has slammed left- wing politicians’ views and also said Revenue could examine taking over collection of the levy.

Commission chairman Joe O’Toole said he favours paying household charges and furthermore, there are “bundles of money” in Ireland which can be invested in Irish Water.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, the former trade union chief also admitted the commission may collapse if an election was called at any stage during its five-month term.

His comments come ahead of Housing Minister Simon Coveney travelling to Brussels this week to outline Ireland’s plan to suspend water charges to Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella.

Mr O’Toole said he was a strong supporter of the ‘polluter pays’ principle, which is backed by the Fine Gael government and Brussels. But he had strong views of left-wing campaigners, who want charges scrapped and services paid for equally through general taxation.

“I find it extraordinary that people who present themselves as being left-wing politicians are opposed to things like property tax, are opposed to polluter pays, are of a view that if you have two or three cars and a swimming pool you should be paying the same water tax as somebody next door.”

Asked if the likes of AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy was “wrong” on their stance on water charges, Mr O’Toole said: “Completely and utterly wrong on the issue, that it is fair in society that people with three cars and a swimming pool pay the same water tax as someone, a person who is barely struggling on a minimum wage.”

The former ICTU president said the commission, likely to hold hearings in the autumn, would ask Revenue to examine the collection of water charges or tying them into another.

“I will talk to Revenue, it’s rollover. There’s the property tax, the waste tax, the water tax, your television licence,” he said.

“There may well be a way that we can fold or should consider folding some of the charges together. What I would like to explore with Revenue are what are the various options.”

Asked if this included Revenue taking over the collection of charges, he said: “That may well be an option to be considered.”

Mr O’Toole said the commission could hear from protest groups and political leaders.

It will be examining what pay model to support Irish Water. One option could be to “try and convince somebody to buy an Irish Water bond”, said Mr O’Toole.

“There are bundles of money in this country at the moment trying to find a home.”

Original article; Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, July 4,2016

Expert on the Water Framework Directive contradicts Government Ministers and EU Commisioner

July 3, 2016

In an interview on RTE This Week, July 3, 2016, Mr Ray Earle, an expert on the Water Framework Directive, says there is nothing in the Directive that says Ireland has to apply a direct billing scheme.

Mr Earle's view contradicts a recent communication from the European Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella to MEP Marian Harkin, in which he stated that Ireland no longer had an exemption from water charges, see article EC: Ireland has no exemption from Water Charges. In the communication Mr Vella also implied that the Commission could initiate infringement proceedings against Ireland if it abandons water charges.

Mr Vella's interpretation of the Water Framework Directive and his threats were recently pounced on by several Government Ministers in their condemnation of Anti Water Charge campaigners both in the media and in Dáil Éireann.

In fact both the present Fine Gael and former Fine Gael/Labour governments have used this Brussels' stick for quite some time. Now Water Charges turns out to be another austerity measure agreed by the Irish Government and the Troika.

For a full explanation see Marian Harkin's article 'Use it or Lose it'

USE IT OR LOSE IT’ SAYS HARKIN

July 3, 2016

The European Commission is attempting to move the goalposts concerning the issue of water charges in Ireland by giving contradictory responses to questions from members of the European Parliament.

This was stated by independent MEP Marian Harkin when she slated the European Commission for issuing confusing messages and, in the process, misrepresenting the position governing water charges in Ireland. She said- “The European Water Framework Directive lays down the rules on charging domestic consumers for water. It contains a derogation put there specifically for Ireland that, in line with ‘established practices,’ a member state may decide not to impose water charges for certain users including for domestic purposes.”

She referred to a Commission response to a question which indicated that the ‘established practices’ were in fact decided when the Directive came into force as far back as 2003. She pointed out that subsequently in 2010 the Irish government signalled its intention to introduce water charges in its first River Basin Plan and charges were subsequently introduced in 2014. “However, in a recent response from the European Commission the goal posts were moved and they now say that ‘established practice’ in fact relates to 2010 when the government introduced its plans,” she said.

She pointed out that this response totally contradicted the first reply which was clear and unequivocal about the timing which is 2003. “This unfortunately shows us that that the European Commission has learned nothing and are trying to force water charges in Ireland by making it up as they go along,” Marian Harkin said.

The Independent MEP stressed that the Commission should know better as it lost a case in the European Court of Justice when it took the German Government to court for not charging for water. “That judgment clearly states that the Directive gives Member States the flexibility to charge or not to directly charge for water,” she said.

She continued:-“Furthermore, and most importantly, Ireland still has to submit its second River Basin Plan in which it can activate the derogation for water charges. This has been confirmed by the Commission which stated; ‘should Ireland wish to rely on the provisions of article 9 (4) in the second River Basin Plan a justification needs to be included in the plan.’ Crucially they also state that this needs to be reflected ‘in the draft plan so that the public can effectively comment thereon.’”

There was an immediate need to focus on this issue, she emphasised because, as of now the Government was refusing to avail of the derogation and erroneously saying that the European Commission would not allow it. “This is the European Commission and the Government being two faced and, if the Government doesn’t act now, we could find ourselves in a situation that water charges will be imposed with the Commission entitled to say that the Irish Government did not seek a derogation,” she said.

In this situation, there would not be any justification for the Irish Government attempting to blame Brussels when the power to implement policy existed in their own hands- it’s a matter of use it or lose it, Independent MEP Marian Harkin concluded.

Original article; www.marianharkin.com, June 28, 2016