Irish Water Not Enough Resources To Meet Buncrana People

The Buncrana Against Irish Water group is appalled at the latest correspondence received from Irish Water. James Quigley chairperson of the group said that after months of communicating with Irish Water this is their definitive answer, they do not have resources to meet with community groups. “ What does this mean? It is condecending, we don't matter, Irish Water are too busy, now go away. They have billions of euros to throw around. They have squads of contractors all over Ireland forcibly installing water meters against resident's wishes. They have the full backing of the government, local authorities and An Garda Siochana. But they don't have the resources to meet community groups”.

Mr Quigley said that anyone local will know what the Buncrana Against Irish Water group have been trying to do for the past couple of months in relation the subject but for those who do not know, they can read the article in www.buncranatogether.com 'Buncrana Against Irish Water and Moneymore Peaceful Initiative.

Below are some correspondence in full, in chronological order beginning with the latest one

 Latest correspondence from Irish Water 25/3/2015

 Dear Mr Quigley,

Thank you for your patience as we have investigated your query regarding the metering programme.

Unfortunately, Irish Water does not have the resources to meet with individual community groups regarding the metering programme. We have passed your request onto our contractors who are responsible for detailed planning of the metering works.

Irish Water is currently implementing Phase 1 of the National Metering Programme whereby water meters are being installed outside domestic residences on publically-accessible land. Water meters are being installed in line with the survey results as carried out by each Local Authority, and in compliance with the Water Services Acts 2007-2014. Under Section 22(1) of the Water Services Act  2007 (the "2007 Act"), Irish Water may appoint a person to be an 'authorised person'. Section 22(2)(c) of the 2007 Act then provides that "An authorised person may, for any purpose connected with this Act- ... (c) enter and inspect any premises for the purposes of ... performing a function under this Act". Irish Water has appointed representatives of each metering contractor to be authorised persons for the purpose of Section 22(2)(c) of the 2007 Act in order to install water meters and carry out associated enablement and reinstatement works.
Any properties that have been identified as suitable for a water meter and are scheduled for meter installations under the Irish Water works programme are notified a minimum of two weeks in advance of the meter being installed. The metering project team also endeavours to provide further notification at least 3 days in advance of the installation.

I hope the information above offers you clarification on the queries you raised. I apologise that we cannot be of further assistance in facilitating your request for a meeting.

Thank you for contacting Irish Water.

Yours sincerely,
Colum O’Toole
Customer Service Advisor
Uisce Éireann
Bosca OP 860, Oifig Sheachadta na Cathrach Theas, Cathair Chorcaí, Éire
Irish Water
PO Box 860, South City Delivery Office, Cork City, Ireland

Previous letter from Irish Water

From: Irish Water Customer Service
Sent: 09 March 2015 13:55
To: James Quigley
Subject: Your query regarding meter installation - Contact ID: 1790573782

Dear Mr Quigley,

Thank you for your email regarding the upcoming meter installation works in Buncrana, Co Donegal.

Please accept our apologies that all of your requests weren’t addressed during your initial contact with us. In light of this, I have passed your query about meeting with representatives of Irish Water to the relevant department and when further information becomes available a member of our team will be in contact with you. Your Irish Water reference for your query is 7104220597, which you can keep for your own records.

Thank you for your continued patience in this matter. We look forward to helping you.

Yours sincerely,
Gavin O'Neill
Customer Service Advisor
Uisce Éireann
Bosca OP 860, Oifig Sheachadta na Cathrach Theas, Cathair Chorcaí, Éire
Irish Water
PO Box 860, South City Delivery Office, Cork City, Ireland

Letter Sent from Buncrana Against Irish Water

Sent: 09 March 2015 10:52
To: Irish Water Customer Service
Subject: Irish Water Reference No 0399707382 Ruth McKenna

Irish Water Reference Number:0399707382

To Ruth McKenna
Customer Service Adviser
Uisce Eireann
Irish Water

9 Marth 2015

Dear Ruth McKenna

Thank you for your 4th March 2015 reply to our letter of 21 February 2015 asking for a meeting with Irish Water and GMC Sierra who we believe are the overall metering contractors.  I notice that you have passed on our request to GMC Sierra, however, they have not replied to date.
Unfortunately your reply  does not address our request as stated in our letter.  We asked to meet with Irish Water as well as GMC Sierra.  We feel it is a very reasonable and sensible request.  We represent households in Buncrana who have no contract with Irish Water  and who feel strongly that you should not be forcing water meters on them against their will for a number of reasons.  We know you believe that the Water Services Acts of 2007 and 2013 give you the right to do this.  However, we feel that under the Constitution and under various legislations we have a right to refuse your water meters.
I again ask you Irish Water in the interest of public safety and fairness to facilitate our request to meet with us in Buncrana to see if we can come up with a sensible compromise and I ask you to priorities this.

Yours sincerely
James Quigley
Chairperson Buncrana Against Irish Water

Fliuch Off Says Please Do Not 'Bin The Bill'

Pleas Do Not 'Bin Your Bill'

Irish Water bills will be starting to arrive in April 2015.  Organisations throughout Ireland who oppose water charges and Irish Water strongly advise not paying these bills  whether you have signed a registration form or not.  Some of the groups advise binning the bills in protest, however,  Fliuch is pleading with the Irish public not to "Bin The Bill" but instead return them to sender with Fliuch's sticker attached.

Fliuch says " Apart from the fact that you may not technically get a bill but a notice from Irish Water Ltd.   Yes there’s a difference.   There’s a difference between a bill and an invoice – you can only be invoiced for a new service you’ve contracted to.   A notice is a notification and you must acquiesce to it either by accepting it or ignoring it and that creates a binding contract. We have always maintained a No Consent No Contract position and we continue with that.  If Irish Water Ltd send you a notification we hold that all correspondence must be returned with a label over the window that says Return To Sender (bare minimum). No handwriting on the envelope please – it has legal implications.   If Alan Kelly introduces court-based penalties (which we were already looking at any way) what will be your defence? I'm not paying, end of. Or would you be better served by being able to ask Irish Water Ltd to produce the contract between them and you? In the end it's up to you but we've always stood on the No Consent, No Contract ground"

Return to sender label to stick on Irish Water Envelope

Brendan Ogle Reflection on Right2Water Demonstration Dublin March 21

Brendan Ogle Spokesman Right2Water

What a wonderful day it was. A recorded attendance of 88785 citizens mobbed Dublin yet again in a technicolour carnival of peaceful noisy protest. This carnival of fighting back people is the latest demonstration of us taking our country back from the gombeens and their benefactors. Here’s some of my favourite video of the day. Firstly the amazing march from Heuston Station on O’Connell Street and then, the stunning scenes at O’Connell Street at precisely 2 o’clock – the appointed time RTE - when the three march’s collided in an explosion of noise that FG/FF/Labour even combined could only dream about in their biggest fantasy.

That there were no arrests or violence whatsoever comes as no surprise to any of us. But it is worth noting nevertheless given last week’s events in Frankfurt. We here in Ireland have the most, (per head of our 4.5m population) and the best protestors against this austerity agenda/tax anywhere. And for every one of those 88875 who turned up on the day there are many more ready to bury Irish Water and also to bring our nation into a new era of participative democracy. A change that our citizens crave. Can we do it? Bloody right we can. Just listen to this, in my view, the best address from Saturday

             Maeve Custis (click image)

How many voters in the coming election will agree with the sentiments expressed here by Maeve Curtis? I would bet that the majority of our voters would agree with Maeve. Certainly more than the pathetic support in the low 20’s % even our biggest political parties get. Why do we agree with Maeve?

The only thing that can stop this movement now is itself, and the only enemy that matters are the human characteristics of internal division, borne out of ego or sectarian political interest. Both must be guarded against and over whelmed by the sheer hope and strength of the movement.  I don’t think I am alone in saying as an Irish person that I am proud once again of our little country and its people. Yes our gombeen elites are an international embarrassment, our national broadcaster is in real danger of making itself irrelevant and most of the rest of the media is owned by an oligarch who made his money out of dodgy deals with the gombeens. But this golden circle is, at last, being faced with a growing and a cohesive movement that seeks real change and the opportunity for this change is just around the corner. Three things I intend to do and hope many other do too:
1) I will not pay a cent of this tax – ever. I hope none of you will either.
2) As a citizen I will argue and fight for maximum unity and a real alternative for our country for the first time in decades.
3) I will make sure I vote (I always do anyway and so should you all in my opinion) and I will make sure my vote makes a difference
Hasta la Victoria Siempre

Brendan Ogle 24 March 2015