Richard Boyd Barrett and others at the People Before Profit national conference in Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin: “The big wasters are the Government who have failed to fix the 40 per cent leaks in the water mains systems.” Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

People Before Profit will oppose any attempt to bring in water charges including excessive use charges, according to its Dún Laoghaire TD Richard Boyd Barrett.

“We will resist anything that tries to leave the back door open to bringing those charges back in. Excessive use charges are that,” he said.

Speaking at the party’s annual press conference in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin, he said “there’s no evidence whatsoever of wastage by householders in this country. The big wasters are the Government who have failed to fix the 40 per cent leaks in the water mains systems.”

The Oireachtas committee on water charges has agreed a draft plan that households using 70 per cent more than the normal usage limit could face financial penalties. He said water leaks “won’t be addressed and haven’t been addressed by water charges. It will be addressed by a major increase in public investment in the public water infrastructure and that’s what we’re fighting for.”

About 200 people attended the day-long conference for the party which has three TDs, one MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly and 11 councillors.

Full article: Irish Times April 2 2017 by Marie O'Halloran