Right2Water Ireland called for a national demonstration for Saturday April 8th 2017 in Dublin..
Brendan Ogle, Unite trade union, Jonathan O'Brien, Sinn Fein and Maeve Curtis, Dundalk R2W, held what could be described as unrepresentative and a R2W self-promotional press conference last Thursday in Dublin. Quite a bit of; we did this, we did that and not much humble pie going around.
However, we prefer the term 'National Anti Water Charge Demonstration'. That is a more fitting and inclusive name given the fact that a broad range of political groups, organisations and individuals throughout the country have done the work up to now. No one group should take credit or assume leadership but any praise going must be given to the people of Ireland, even Fianna Fáil supporters.
Eureka! was the term shouted by Archimedes, a while back, as he ran down a Syracuse road naked after a mathematical brainwave hit him while taking a bath in the Sicilian sun. The Archimedes Principle kind of calculates volume and loosely describes what you put in to something you get an equivalent amount out.
It doesn't take a brainwave to twig that an anti water charge demonstration is called for at this juncture in time especially since Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and others in the Oireachtas Committee on 'Domestic Water Charges' are or reported to be, dilly dallying around some type of compromise.
And it doesn't take a genius to know that the more anti water protesters throughout the country that show up at the April 8th demonstration, the more will be got out of it.
Therefore, we encourage as many people as possible to take part in what could either be a protest demo or a celebration march, depending on the Oireachtas show.
Archimedes, we rest our case!
The Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael political show in town
Enda Kenny, Fine Gael, Taoiseach and Michéal Martin, Fianna Fáil Leader
For the past year and a bit the democratic wish of the Irish was usurped by political agendas. After last year's General Election, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's used the 'Confidence and Supply Agreement' to kick the water issue down the road by establishing an 'Expert Water Commission' and now this Oireachtas Water Committee on Funding Domestic Water Services, somewhat partisan outfits dressed up by Fine Gael's Simon Coveney.
It is now crunch time but the committee on domestic water has reached a deadlock and the Minister has extended it's deadline by another four weeks to come up with some type of compromise. By the way, how many compromises make a whole?
It is our opinion that, as far as the water issue goes for a start, Fine Gael do not deserve any backing. First of all, it is not in their ultra right-wing fibre to compromise and secondly for the past three decades or so they have been pushing their water charges agenda down our throats and and into legislation. Look where it has got us!
Fianna Fáil cold feet
Are Fianna Fáil getting cold feet or will they stick to what were water-tight promises on abolishing water charges, metering and Irish Water Ltd? We are under no illusions that political parties have a Jekyll and Hyde personality when it comes to electoral promises but which one will Fianna Fáil adopt? The answer my friend will unfortunately have to wait. And that is why pressure must be put on Fianna Fáil. They must be held accountable and be reminded that they can not make clear and unambiguous promises and not keep them.
What has been given, can easily be taken away and given Fianna Fáil's lengthy list of past indiscretions, not least was their 'Letter of Intent' to the IMF in 2010. They have much to prove.
