An extract from RTE Prime Time, Thursday, March 16, 2017 deals with THMs (trihalomethanes) in Ireland's drinking water. Up to 400,000 people could be affected by potential cancer causing chemicals.
To read further information on this issue see Friends of the Irish Environment article. They have been highlighting this issues for a long time. Or there are many articles on this site which you can search 'Archives' using phrases like Trihalomethanes or Chlorine.
Source: RTE Prime Time March 16 2017
"As someone who is an expert in what being falsely imprisoned is I can say this was not false imprisonment. This was a community exerting its democratic right to oppose an unjust policy. A right that we should all be proud to defend." Paddy Hill, Birmingham Six
Paddy Hill served 16 years in prison - along with the rest of the Birmingham 6, for a crime he had nothing to do with. Members of the Rossport 5 were jailed 94 days for standing up against the Shell corporation and their plans to build a pipeline through their community. They will be joined by Jimmy Kelly of UNITE the union, former MEP and justice campaigner Patricia McKenna and others at this major campaign rally for #JobstownNotGuilty.
A 17 year old school student has already been found guilty of false imprisonment – a verdict a barrister described as “a recipe for totalitarianism”. 18 adults are awaiting trial - starting on the 24th April 2017 - and facing serious prison sentences if convicted. The trials, which will be six to eight weeks long, themselves will place enormous stress and strain on the defendants. If jailed, families would be left in very difficult situations, with jobs lost and parents in prison. If TD Paul Murphy is jailed for more than six months, he will be removed as a TD, denying the democratic choice of the people of Dublin South West.
All this relates to an anti water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin on 15th November 2014, where then Tánaiste Joan Burton’s car was delayed for 2 and ½ hours by a spontaneous community protest.
If these protesters are found guilty, the definition of “false imprisonment” will be changed. Any protest that causes even a momentary delay, which for example inconveniences a politician, could be deemed to be “kidnapping”. This is about intimidating people and criminalising protest
Just a few weeks before the trials start, this major rally will make the case that these trials can affect all of our right to protest. A major campaign for justice is now needed. Join us on April 1st and reserve your place at the link below. We will be in touch via email to confirm your attendance.
Source: #JobstownNotGuilty
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.