Who is on committee examining future of water charges?

Committee chaired by Independent Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh to meet this Tuesday

by Sarah Bardon, Irish Times

Twenty Oireachtas members will sit on the committee examining the future of water charges.

The committee, which will be chaired by Independent Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh, is due to meet for the first time next Tuesday to consider how it will conduct its work.

One of the key issues will be whether it will invite witnesses to give evidence or simply consider the report’s recommendations.

It has a number of questions to examine, including whether water services will be funded by a new tax or by adjusting existing taxes.

Another is whether it will allow the Commission of Energy Regulation determine the daily allowance for households.

The key test for the committee will be whether its recommendations will be in keeping with the European Union water framework directive.

The committee will have three months to reach a final conclusion and its recommendations will be sent to the Dáil for a vote.

Nine of the 20 TDs on the committee are in favour of water charges, five support outright abolition and the five Fianna Fáil TDs will not adopt a final position until after the committee concludes its work.

The other member is the chair, who has been meeting with individual members over the past two days to seek consensus on how the committee will work.

PARTY: Fine Gael

POSITION: The party is in favour of water charges

MEMBERS: 6

Martin Heydon, Kildare South TD and chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party; Colm Brophy, Dublin South West TD; Jim Daly, Cork South West TD; Alan Farrell, Dublin Fingal TD; Kate O’Connell, Dublin Bay South TD; and Paudie Coffey, Waterford Senator.

PARTY: Fianna Fáil

POSITION: Water charges should be abolished and services should be funded through general taxation

MEMBERS: 5

Barry Cowen, Offaly TD; Willie O’Dea, Limerick City TD; Mary Butler, Waterford TD; John Lahart, Dublin South-West TD; and Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Dublin Fingal Senator

PARTY: Sinn Féin

POSITION: Supports abolition of charges

MEMBERS: 2

Eoin Ó Broin, Dublin Mid-West TD; and Jonathan O’Brien, Cork North-Central

PARTY: Anti-Austerity Alliance and People before Profit

POSITION: Supports abolition of charges

MEMBERS: 1

Paul Murphy, Dublin South West TD

PARTY: LABOUR

POSITION: Supports provision of charges

MEMBERS: 1

Jan O’Sullivan, Limerick City TD

PARTY: Independents4Change

POSITION: Supports abolition of charges

MEMBERS: 1

Thomas Pringle, Donegal TD.

GROUP: Social Democrats and Green Party grouping

POSITION: Social Democrats are in favour of abolition, while the Green Party advocates in favour of water charges.

MEMBERS: 2 - Senator chosen by the Seanad

Séamus Healy TD for Tipperary (supports abolition) and Senator Grace O’Sullivan (supports retention of water charges).

GROUP: Rural Alliance

POSITION: Majority in favour of retention of water charges

MEMBERS: 1

Source: Irish Times, Dec 2, 2016

European Public Service Union – Food & Water Europe – European Water Movement

Trade Unions and Civil Society Welcome the Introduction of the Human Right to Water into the Constitution of Slovenia

Brussels, 18 November 2016 – Last night the National Assembly of Slovenia passed an amendment to its Constitution to include a new article that recognizes the Human Right to Water. The amendment affirms water should be treated as a public good managed by the state, not as a commodity, and that drinking water must be supplied by the public sector in a non-for-profit basis. It is a great success for Slovenian activists and people.

“Citizens from across the EU and Europe have successfully mobilized to have the right to water and sanitation recognized as a human right – as decided by the United Nations – and have this put into EU law. The European Commission continues to ignore nearly two million voices of the first ever successful European Citizens Initiative. Commissioner Vella should listen to citizens and follow the Slovenian example as soon as possible,” said Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary.

Water is a controversial topic in Slovenia, as foreign companies from the food and beverage industry are buying rights to a large amount of local water resources. The Slovenian government has raised concerns about the impacts of free trade agreements like CETA (between Canada and the European Union) in its capacity to control and regulate these resources.

“Trade agreements and investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms can limit the ability of states to take back public control over water resources when foreign investors are involved, as it is the case in Slovenia. To guarantee the right to water and the control over this key resource, the European and the Slovenian Parliaments should reject CETA when it comes to a vote in the coming months,” said David Sánchez, Director of Food & Water Europe.

The amendment is the result of a citizens’ initiative that collected 51.000 signatures to propose a constitutional amendment.

‘We welcome the introduction of the human right to water in the Slovenian constitution, as the great result of a citizens’ initiative. Now civil society should be vigilant to guarantee a democratic and transparent management of the integrated water cycle founded in the participation of citizens and workers,” said Jutta Schütz, spokesperson at the European Water Movement.

Notes

  • The Slovenian government raised concerns about the ambiguity of terms like “commercial use of a water source” in CETA, how the agreement applies to existing water rights and the future ability of national governments to put limits on concessions already granted without being subject to claim under ICS, among others.