Anna Kavanagh interviews Enda Craig on the Water Charges Betrayal

Anna Kavanagh live from Donegal interviews Enda Craig, Buncrana Together on what he sees as the great betrayal of the Irish people by Right2Water Unions and TDs.


Enda believes that it is now happening again and this time over the issue of the proposed Water Referendum. He contends that the wording is wrong because the proposal only deals with services. It is not looking at ownership of water or our right to a domestic water supply. He says that a barrister informed him that the law at present allows for the water allowances to be whittled away to nothing and could result in full water charges. This eventually will lead to privatisation in line with the competition laws of the Lisbon Treaty, Articles 102-106. He says the the present referendum delay could be a good thing because we could put pressure on the TDs.

It was the opinion of the barrister that if a person's right to a domestic water supply is enshrined in the Constitution then If the Government did try to reduce the allowances we would then have a very strong legal case to prevent that.

Irish Exemption

The Irish Exemption enshrined in Article 9.4 of the Water Framework Directive 2000 was unique to Ireland. It came about through previous anti water charges campaigns in the 1990s, bringing down one Government and forcing the incoming Fianna Fáil to insist Brussels add this 9.4 clause to the WFD. The importance of this article is that it recognised that Ireland has an established practice of funding domestic water supply through general taxation and this allowed the Irish Government to opt out of the EU’s pressure for full cost recovery.

You might think that any anti water charges group would fight tooth and nails to keep this exemption a defense mechanism against EU diktat. Right2Water barely lifted a finger.

Although it may not have been explicitly stated in Ireland’s 2nd River Basin Management Plan which has been sent to Brussels, it is our contention that the 9.4 clause still applies and this will be so until it is removed by EU. That could happen soon since, as we speak, the EU Commission is in the process of revamping the Water Framework Directive and no doubt 9.4 clause will get omitted. It remains to be seen whether any TDs will defend it.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/anna.kavanagh.102/videos/10217177366613568/

Donegal man hits out at TDs for failing to protect a vital exemption for Ireland on water charges

This article is taken from Oceanfm, June 21, 2017 where Enda Craig, Buncrana Together,  takes on Thomas Pringle a member of the Right2Water TDs on the now defunct Oireachtas Committee on Domestic Water Charges.    Buncrana Together continue the theme of the role played by the Right2Water TDs on that committee and what we can only see as a terrible and serious omission of any mention of the 9.4 Exemption in their report, draft or final. 

We published an article last year, that explained this exceptional 'Irish Exemption' clause and why it must be included in any river basin management plan.  It can be found here.  However, the relevant 9.4 section below is the main clause of Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive 2000.  We must emphasis that this exemption was a hard won clause brought about by past anti water charges campaigns in Ireland.

4. Member States shall not be in breach of this Directive if they decide in accordance with established practices not to apply the provisions of paragraph 1, second sentence, and for that purpose the relevant provisions of paragraph 2, for a given water-use activity, where this does not compromise the purposes and the achievement of the objectives of this Directive. Member States shall report the reasons for not fully applying paragraph 1, second sentence, in the river basin management plans.

A Donegel man has hit out at politicians involved in the campaign against water charges as failing the Irish people.

Activist Enda Craig has hit out at TDs including Independent Donegal TD Thomas Pringle for claiming victory on water charges too soon.

Donegal community activist Enda Craig who also campaigned against those charges says he was appalled to see the Right-to-Water charge campaigners claiming victory on the plinth of Leinster House In April, before the final report had been properly considered and voted on.

Mr. Craig says a vital 9.4 clause in the EU Water Framework Directive agreed years ago at a European level gives Ireland a unique exemption from charging domestic water charges..

He told North West Today, that TDs like Deputy Pringle should have fought harder to protect this clause which he says is not even mentioned in the final report:

Listen to 18 mins of the oceanfm debate below

 

Buncrana Together

This is the only explanation we have had to date from Right2Water over the issue of the premature claim of 'victory' that was based on a 'confidential' draft report and the omission of the 9.4 Exemption from any report.  Unfortunately Mr Pringle sidesteps the questions and does not answer either.   His excuse that the Right2Water TDs only made up 25% of the committee and Fianna Fáil   'did a complete U-turn' does not explain anything about the 'victory' claim or the omission of the 9.4 Exemption.  However,  Mr Pringle's response poses the question of why did they take part in an obvious rigged committee in the first place?

Passports to swim in Lough Foyle - health and security warning attached

All visitors beyond this point must produce a passport.   Beware there are no regulations but for those who dare, there is a free for all bonanza guaranteed.  However, you do so at your own risk, no one takes responsibility for thousands of oyster trestles, hidden sewer pipes, chemicals and other foreign objects. 

Please note submarines have right of way.

View from Glenburnie Beach in Carnagarve, Co Donegal - photo Enda Craig

Enda Craig on BBC Radio Foyle's The Mark Peterson Show discussing the ownership of Lough Foyle

Source:

Reference: