Tag: Right2Water

Big Phil Hogan was put back in his box by thousands of us who protested, and won, over Water Charges. But we are still waiting for the promised referendum on putting into the Constitution, the commitment to keep our water out of private hands. And now we hear the public service workers involved in water services, 3,200 of them, who were transferred to Irish Water on the promise that they remain ‘public service’, are now faced with an attempt by Irish Water to go back on their word to them. This is not on. Neither is the delay on the referendum. I spoke about our #Right2Water issues, and the workers rights, today in the Dáil.

I got the chance to question IRISH WATER officials last week. There were two issues I wanted information on: the fate of workers in the ‘industry’, and their approach to fixing leaks. Most of us don’t trust Irish Water and the proposals on “excess use” are a backdoor to re-introducing water charges. Irish Water had asked for support in getting communities to accept a program to “address leaks” which strikes me as more about figuring “excess use” and little to do the real waste – LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM, NOT OUR HOMES.

The WATER SERVICES BILL 2017 was discussed today in the Dáil. Shamefully it will be passed by FF,FG, LP and the ‘Independants’. It will leave the door open to future attempts to charges and privatisation. But if that happens PEOPLE POWER can again be mobilised and again will win. Meantime, hats off to all the unsung heros who stopped meters going in and bills going out. We won – the government lost, and if they want a re-match, we’ll give it to them!

 

Brid spoke in favour of the Bill presented by Joan Collins TD and was proud to do so. In her speech she rails against the reception given to the Bill by the establishment parties and attacks their record and neo-liberal policies.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to defend Joan Collins TD‘s Bill calling for a referendum on water, last night in the Dáil. Leo Varadkar made disgraceful comments on the Bill, and showed how little he respects the will of the people. NO WAY will we allow privatisation through the back door, front door, windows or skylight

RISH WATER WAS ALL ABOUT PRIVATISATION I was on Pat Kenny’s radio programme recently. The clip includes some comments on the expensive farce that is Irish Water; Why didn’t Fianna Fail fix the pipes with the excess €Billions that Brian Cowan bragged about? Just one of the points I made to Pat Kenny on his radio programme a couple of days ago. So why didn’t WE ever do anything about getting the water pipes fixed – why do we just ‘give out’ . I told Kenny who makes the decsions on Dublin City Council – the unelected city manager. So much for democracy! I also was challenged about how water is paid for, and by whom, and where and they wanted to know why so called ‘socialist’ parties in Europe support water charges.

Historic underfunding of water system by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments are the reasons for current infrastructure crisis. People Before Profit have outlined a number of measures that could be used to pay for water infrastructure upgrades and water services.

People Before Profit TD and spokesperson on water, Bríd Smith, has said that the blame for the crumbling nature of Ireland’s water infrastructure is down to historic underfunding by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments.The TD for Dublin South Central made her comments in the wake of the burst pipe in Drogheda which has cut of water to thousands of people in Louth and Meath East.

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Poor quality sound but you can get a flavour of speech by Brid at the end of the R2W demo. She finished with a great line from a poem by Padraig Pearse :
And I say to my people’s masters: Beware
Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people
Who shall take what ye would not give.

 

Poor quality sound but you can get a flavour of speech by Brid at the end of the R2W demo. She finished with a great line from a poem by Padraig Pearse :

“And I say to my people’s masters:

Beware, Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people

Who shall take what ye would not give.”