“It’s not a U-turn" - Fianna Fáil wants water charges abolished

They’re suspended for now but the party wants them gone altogether.

Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin pictured in 2011. 
image: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

FIANNA FÁIL HAS said that it wants water charges abolished and the provision of water funded by general taxation.

The charges are currently suspended as an expert commission set up to determine the future of water charges begins its work.

Fianna Fáil has made its submission to the commission in which the party sets out its opinion that water charges should be abolished.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin denied that this represented a U-turn for his party.

The introduction of water charges was part of the bailout deal Brian Cowen’s Fianna Fáil government signed with the Troika in 2010.

“It’s not a U-turn, we’ve said from day 1 prior to the election and our submission is very consistent with our general election position, ” he said.

For the lifetime of this government, we want the abolition of water charges as they’re currently in existence and we believe that a combination of funding from from the general exchequer on the current side. And in terms of the investment side from the European Investment Bank and the Strategic Investment Fund.

Martin said that he wants general taxation to pay for Irish Water “into the future”.

Despite wanting water charges gone, he says it is not his party’s position to abolish Irish Water but instead wants an “external examination” of how the utility operates.

The European Commission been forthright in saying that Ireland must introduce water charges and has restated this view on several occasions.

Martin, however, believes that the commission’s legal argument is wrong.

“We have legal opinion to the effect that the commission is wrong in terms of its assertions and indeepd the previous Minister would have said as much in 2010,” he said.

Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/ Sept 12, 2016

Michéal Martin on RTE Sept 12

Tell the Government not to authorise Bayer's bee-harming insecticide

 

Eoin Dubsky of SumOfUs is calling on the people of Ireland to tell the Government  not to authorise Bayer's new bee-harming flupyradifurone insecticide.  Mr Dubsky said more than 20,000 have already signed their petition asking the Government not to authorise this insecticide.

"France took an unprecedented step to protect bees this summer by passing a total ban on bee-killing neonics. But a new harmful insecticide is being shoved into EU states and it could prove just as toxic as neonics. 

Developed by Bayer, “flupyradifurone” is a chemical cousin to the neonics linked to the mass die-off of bees in Europe and beyond. And experts say it’s not just bees that are at risk. Research shows that the insecticide could have adverse effects on “the whole suite of life,” according to Lori Ann Burd of the Center for Biological Diversity.

Since Brussels gave the insecticide the green light last year, it’s being assessed for approval light here in Ireland. In order to protect our bees from further devastation, we need to make sure Ireland keeps flupyradifurone out.

Bayer is once again threatening creatures responsible for pollinating a third of all our crops. Which means its bee-harming insecticides really put our entire food system at risk.

Together, we’ve made massive progress in our fight to protect bees from Bayer and other pesticide producers. From getting Home Depot and Lowe’s to remove neonics from their shelves, to pushing the French government to enact a complete ban on neonics, our people power is coming through.

But Bayer’s latest insecticide could be just as devastating to bee populations as the neonics we’ve rallied against. We won’t let our government authorise another bee-harming pesticide. Let’s make our voices heard once again, before it’s too late.

Tell the Government of Ireland not to authorise Bayer's bee-harming flupyradifurone insecticide."

Full article and petition click on photo opposite