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/

Fine Gael's fine tuned mantra and Simon Coveney adds more fuel to the fire sweeping democrarcy aside

Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil

Why are we constantly hearing Fine Gael threats of potential EU monetary sanctions over Ireland's democratic decision on water charges?  Why is Fine Gael Simon Coveney holding the country to ransom with unsubstantiated arguments that this democratic decision may or may not be good enough for Brussels?  Now we have Fine Gael trotting out their latest mantra of 'the county does not want elections over the water issue'. 

 

We have two words for Fine Gael   'Established Practice' ,  there in black and white in the EU Water Framework Directive 2000.   As Mr Coveney arrogantly says in the clip below "we don't know how many times we have to say it". 

However, there is also the relevant fact that Ireland is still operating under the first River Basin Management Plan, agreed in 2010, which states that domestic water is financed through general taxation. 

Just because in 2014 Fine Gael and the Labour Party, without a mandate to do so, once again tried to bring in Water Charges and railroaded legislation through the Dáil, the Irish people did not accept it.    Even the cows in the field would understand that 'Water Charges' are not an 'Established Practice'.

Today on 'RTE News at One' a defiant Simon Coveney, shows off his hegemonic qualities and calls Fianna Fáil's bluff after Barry Cowen earlier threatened that Fianna Fail may not facilitate the election of a new Fine Gael leader if legislation is not forthcoming based on the Oireachtas Water Committee draft report.  However, Fianna Fáil's, finance spokesperson, Michael McGrathcountered with an obvious demand

" Fine Gael concerns seem to be around the Attorney General’s legal advice on the draft report. His party would like to be shown what those concerns are and to deal with them"

Indeed the public would like to see hard facts on the table and not threats.  Mr Coveney also needs to be reminded that the Fine Gael Government is only a minority one.

 

Source: http://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2017/0410/866645-water/