Calls for water infrastructure spend

July 16, 2016

Simon Coveney, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is being urged to ensure €148m in unspent funds for water meter installations instead goes towards fixing urban pipes and drainage systems.

A decision by Irish Water not to install up to 180,000 water meters at present should allow the company reallocate funds into capital infrastructure projects, Opposition TDs argue.

Minister Coveney says the saved money will go on non-domestic water meter upgrades and towards water works on lands that can be used to help address the housing shortage.

But Sinn Féin want the money pumped directly into fixing pipes and drains in order to help Ireland avoid being slapped with large fines for failing to implement an EU urban waste water directive.

Minister Coveney, in a parliamentary answer to Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin, confirmed the underspend in the domestic water metering programme.

Domestic metering contracts, agreed in 2013, were to install 1,050,000 devices over three years, he said.

“Ministerial consent was given to a budget of €614m including Vat for this purpose,” said the minister.

But the installation has stopped now, with Sinn Féin sources suggesting this is partially due to opposition to meters in housing estates and some urban areas.

In his parliamentary response, Minister Coveney added: “I understand from Irish Water that the expected capital expenditure by August 2016 will amount to €465m, which will deliver circa 870,000-880,000 meter installations.

“As such, savings of about €148m will accrue on the capital metering programme.

“Up to 180,000 meters included in the original programme will not be metered at this stage, for a combination of health and safety reasons, service complexity or other technical reasons.”

Deputy O’Broin says that the water meter funds could be better spent elsewhere.

“There is an under-spend of up to €148 million which has the potential to be reallocated.

“There is a sense of urgency in re-allocating these monies.

“We have heard off the record that Irish Water’s parent company Ervia is currently negotiating a six-month extension to the original water metering contract.

“It is alleged that the board of Ervia is soon to ratify this extension.

“I will be writing to both Minister Coveney and Ervia in an attempt to clarify this claim. It is outrageous that money is continuing to be spent on domestic water metering.

“Given that Ireland is currently undergoing infringement proceedings for a failure to implement the Urban Waste Water Treatment directive and that water infrastructure is crumbling, this funding would be better spent in addressing these issues as opposed to continuing with this controversial programme.”

Original article: Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner July 16, 2016

Inishowen Groundbreaking Agreement on Water Meters

July 18, 2015

John Gildea (left) MBC Builders  shaking hands with James Quigley (right) Inishowen  group — John Gildea (left) MBC Builders shaking hands with James Quigley (right) Inishowen group

An agreement between MBC Builders (Gildea), Ballybofey and Inishowen groups opposed to water meters has been reached following a meeting held in An Grianan Hotel, Burt, Co Donegal on Thursday 16th July. The meeting came about as a result of John Gildea, MBC Builders, recently contacting James Quigley, a local anti water charge campaigner from Buncrana.

MBC Builders is one of two subcontractors contracted by GMC Sierra Ltd to install meter ready boundary boxes in place of old water stopcocks in the area. GMC Sierra Ltd have the main contract from Irish Water to install water meters throughout the north/north west of Ireland from Mayo to Donegal.

At the meeting John Gildea of MBC Builders agreed that no work will be carried out on properties in Inishowen which have a sign up, indicating that they do not want a meter. The Inishowen groups agreed that they will not oppose MBC Builders working on properties which don't have a sign up. The agreement is subject to the following conditions;

1 MBC Builders will not work on properties who have a sign up indicating that they do not want a water meter installed..

2 MBC Builders personnel will not try to coax or by any mean persuade any residents who does not want a meter or who has a sign up indicating so, to change their minds .

3 MBC Builders will notify an anti water charge campaigner at least the night before work starts in any particular area.

4 All work will be carried out within socially accepted times 7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri and 8am to 1pm Sat.

James Quigley emphasised that this agreement is between us and MBC Builders. It is all about 'signs' on properties whose owners do not want a meter. If people have a sign up they will not get a meter or boundary box. There are some complicated technical issues in respect of work carried out by sub contractors and that carried out by GMC Sierra Ltd. We will be clarifying these issues later in our web page, the media and public meetings. We will also clarify other important issues that came up including the possibility that another contractor may come in after MBC Builders and finish the job or that this agreement paves the way for contractors to complete their job in Inishowen.

For some time now campaign groups in the area have been calling for a sensible approach such as this to the water meter controversy. We have repeatedly contacted Irish Water, GMC Sierra and An Garda Siochána to try to set up such an agreement. As far back as February we had a very successful public meeting in Buncrana where campaigners from Moneymore, Drogheda gave a talk on their successful agreement between themselves and contractors. I believe everyone in the packed audience that night were in agreement that we should go down this route.

I am glad we persisted and I am pleased that John Gildea of MBC Builders finally sees that an agreement such as this is the sensible way forward. This is an agreement that satisfies the needs of both sides. It is based on mutual trust and has already been proven in Moneymore and Cork and other parts Donegal that it can be a civilised solution to a difficult problem. All protest groups and Inishowen people should now get behind this new dispensation, give it a fair chance and demonstrate to one and all what can be achieved by reasoned negotiation.

This was the week that was in Inishowen's Water Campaign

May 10, 2015

Some of most important water campaign stories that affect Inishowen from Donegal and around the country.

Inishowen Attacked by Thugs

Enda Craig Moville Community Against Meters

There is a rogue team of Irish Water meter installers in Inishowen peninsula and it’s time they were stopped in their tracks. Their ‘modus operandi’ is to ignore all installation agreements.
1. They use an unmarked van – this is not allowed.
2. They do not produce I.D. when requested
3. They invade private property without permission and refuse to leave when requested
4. They have given zero notification of their intention to install water meter installation. By Irish Water’s own agreement ( which was agreed with An Garda Siochana and is written on their web-site ) ALL residents must be given two weeks notice to begin with, followed by a two day notice and then, finally, must knock on your door on the mentioned day to alert you of the imminent water meter installation.
All this is being ignored as they move furtively from estate to estate installing meters without the knowledge of the residents. Worst of all, when challenged they use foul language totally ignoring their own work agreements and trample over the rights of the residents. This has now been well documented by the experience of a local Moville resident and indeed other examples now coming to our notice.
Our group,Moville Community Against Water Meters, has already made Irish Water and An Garda Siochana aware of this abuse and we are now calling on all our elected representatives to come to the aid of their constituents and insist that Irish Water deal immediately with the unlawful and unacceptable behaviour of this team of water meter installers.
See rest of Enda's statement in Craic On

Irish Water Treatment of Woman Appalling in Buncrana Together.

**Return To Sender Click Photo for full story**

Buncrana Man Defies Irish Water

I celebrate James Connolly who died in the 1916 rising by this small act of defiance and I castigate the Irish Labour party for their part in supporting and driving the Water Services legislation through. My act is what James Connolly would have done.

Moville Community will voice concerns Thursday April 14

Moville Community Against Water Meters will help and support residents in a Moville estate to voice their objections to the way they were treated by unknown thugs. This Thursday they will gather in the estate where a spokesperson for the community will read out their statement. Enda Craig said he will invite all elected representatives to come and support the community. He will also invite the media.

Buncrana Together believes that the workmen were working as subcontractors for Irish Water. The reason we say believe is because they did not identify themselves. There was no identification on their vehicle. We also believe that they were GMC Sierra employees.

Public meeting in St Marys Hall Muff tuesday 12th May from 8pm

Water Warriors Donegal and North Donegal Irsp are holding a public non political party meeting and public information night to highlight the ongoing fight against Irish Water and the installation of water meters and to show people the way to beat irish water is by mass nonpayment of the bills.

The meeting will be chaired by Simon McElroy from water warriors and Mark McKinney from IRSP. We invite all the people of the muff area and indeed anyone that wants to learn more about the protest. This meeting is an all inclusive meeting and we invite members from every anti water group in the area. Political groups are also welcome but this is a non party political meeting. We will only talk about the subject in question on the night please.

Irish Water Delivery Service Too Little Too Later

Irish Water are delivering notices using unidentified men who either put a leaflet through your letterbox or fling it on your doorstep. Some do not get a notice at all. There are no names or addresses on the envelope. We believe this was a reaction by Irish Water to our repeated complaints both to them and to Garda Siorhána. it is not good enough.
Click on the photo and at the bottom of article you can read what they should be doing.

The West is Awake

Glenties Resident Stop Irish Water

Water protest at Ard Patrick Estate in Glenties on Tuesday 28th April, 2015 undertaken by 14 members of the public comprising of Right 2 Water, Glenties Sinn Fein Cumman and Donegal Says No members. Water meters were prevented from being installed in houses with no persons present.

Ard Patrick Estate in Glenties on Tuesday 28th April, 2015

Pulling out of Gort Na Seglad

Cllr Mac Giolla Easbuig said that this is another victory in west Donegal this morning again. Well done al. Irish Water are now pulling out of Gort Na Seglad

Cruit Island Another Victory

Protesters, Cruit Island, were delighted by results of their protest. Gllr Mac Giolla Easbuig said "another morning with Irish Water in Cruit Island, west Donegal. It looks like only one or two meters are going to get fitted on the Island.

Residents Right to their property in Glenties stated clearly

In Glenties the rights to private property is questioned by residents. The households firmly state that the water shore or stopcock is their property. They state that as property owner or occupier they do not need to prove if it is private property or not. Irish Water need to prove that it is not as they are the party intending to carry out works. A spokesperson for the group say demand proof of them. Do not let them commence until they show you the maps and all their paperwork and where they got their permissions.

Irish Water being stopped in Glenties Co Donegal. Members of Donegal Water Warriors remove work protective fences because they are on private property

Worked Stopped in Gweedore

Cllr Mac Giolla Easbuig said "We have Irish Water at stop in Gweedore right now. They have being knocking at doors but every one is telling them they don't want a Meter. The foreman has agreed that they won't fit a meter if residents tell them that they don't want one.Keep up the Fight! We are Winning."

Pulling out of Annagry

Irish Government Approves Proposals On Debt Enforcement And Reaction

On Wednesday May 6th 2015 the Irish Government approved a Civil Debt Bill to abolish imprisonment of debtors & implement recommendations of 2010 Law Reform Commission report. This includes Environment Legislation to strengthen regulatory regime around the payment of water charges. The legislative stage could take up to 6 months before this bill goes to Dail for approval. See full article including official statement and opinions Here.

Read this interesting article by Gene Kerrigan in the Sunday Independent Apr 10. Click image.

At work?  On the dole? An employer?  Better call Saul — At work? On the dole? An employer? Better call Saul

Waterford Politicising An Garda Siochána May 7 2015

Video by Noel Mc Lawrence politicising the police

Sligo Protesters Make Enda Kenny unwelcome at Ballymote

Irish Water protesters heckling Enda Kenny at an ceremony in Ballymote Co Sligo ireland when he was unveiling a monument to Irishmen who died in the American civil war.

Fine Gael member provokes crowd in protest at Ballymote where 200 protesters gather to protest at privatisation of water. At 00:15 you can see one of Enda's lackeys pointing an umbrella like a rifle at a member of the congregation in an attempt to provoke crowd.
The protesters showed great respect during the National Anthems & the minutes silence. Enda kenny when he addressed the assembled people in Ballymote that he was "Delighted to be in Ballinrobe" drew some consternation from the crowd. The peaceful protesters were then held back against their will at the behest of Enda Kenny which was a clear attempt at provocation. Sligo News facebook page