Oireachtas Water Committee - Differences between the draft and final reports

Below are the differences between the 'Draft Final Report' released on 5th April and the final 'Report' which was passed on 11th April by a majority vote of the Oireachtas Water Committee.   As far as we can make out there are two amendments to the draft report and in our view, they are substantial.   The final vote was was 13-7 in favour of the final report. .  Voting for were 5 Fianna Fáil and 6 Fine Gael members along with Noel Greenish, Ind and Chairman P O'Ceidigh.  Voting against all 5 Right2Water member andsurprisingly Jan O'Sullivan, Lab and Grace O'Sullivan, Green Party.  Incidentally, we believe that the Labour and Green Party members voted against because the report did not go far enough with respect to charging and metering.

Buncrana Together believes that the amendments to the 'Draft Report', even though few,  are substantial.  However, both the draft and final reports are full of vague phraseology which is open to interpretation,  legislative manipulation and Government interference.  No doubt we will see Simon Coveney in the future putting a Government slant on it when it comes to legislation.  

By the way last week's 'draft report' , in our view, was far from a victory and any claims to such needs questioning.  We will have more to say on this in a later article that may possibly be our swan song, an adieu to dishonesty and political manipulation and all those who take part in the grand charade of a parliamentary system.

 

Draft Report

Final Report

 

Draft Report

Final Report

Final Oireachtas Water Committee Report 12th April 2017

Unfortunately we can only put this up at present.  However, we do know that this final report has been voted on and agreed by a majority of politicians on the Oireachtas Water Committee including Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. 

Unfortunately we do not know the voting details or indeed details of what exactly happened in the Committee in the interimbetween the publication of a previous 'draft report', which was hailed a 'victory' by anti water charges committee members and this report which involved some type of an agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.  

From events and political maneuverings on all sides,  in particular, over the past fortnight but even over the lifespan of the Oireachtas Water Committee it is advisable not to jump to conclusions but sift through details as we find them. 

 
 

Fianna Fáil does a deal on Water Charges with Fine Gael

According to RTÉ News 28 mins ago "The Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services has passed its final report, which includes changes recommended in legal advice to the committee."

We have not received or are privy to this so called final report but when we do we will put it up.  No doubt the devil is in the detail and from what we are being fed so far about words being changed like 'Fines' to 'Levy', for example,  we are in for many of these little devils.

This Committee has never really been about what it said on the tin e.g1) It was a public process.  Wrong!  Most submissions, business and dealings were done behind the scenes and closed doors.,  2) Last week the committee agreed a 'Draft Report',  Wrong!  It was not a final 'draft report' after all, no one voted for it, and no one is saying who wrote it.  But apparently this report is the real thing. 

So far the following is the only definite response we have but can you believe it?

FF Welcomes Deal to End Water Charges

11th April 2017

Following agreement of a report from the Special Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Housing, Planning & Local Government Barry Cowen TD commented, “There has been much posturing and much debate on the issue of water over recent days and weeks.  However, when the smoke clears, the outcome of this process is clear – the hated water charges regime introduced by the last Government, and all the contradictions and unfairness attached to it, is now gone. I and my Party welcome that outcome.

“The report agreed today is essentially the same report that was agreed over a week ago and provides for a fair system where those who abuse our water service are financially penalised, but water charges for 92% of the population have been eliminated.  Those who are identified as using excess volumes of water will have the opportunity to address that and it is our belief that as behaviour changes, the number of households identified as wilfully abusing water will decrease further.

“Under the deal agreed today, excess use / wilful abuse of water will be set at 1.7 times the average daily use of each individual.  The expert and agreed view is that in Ireland, the average daily use of an individual is 133 litres.  Legislation will now be brought forward by the Government formalising the agreement reached here and Fianna Fáil will be making sure that the deal reached is fully reflected by strengthening the Water Services Act 2007. Now that that agreement has been reached it will give more time for the Dáil to prioritise Housing and other areas to improve people’s lives”.

Source: https://www.fiannafail.ie/ff-welcomes-deal-to-end-water-charges/