At 2pm today we march in Clonmel not just against the water charges but we march for change.
We march for the Right to:
– Have a health service which is fit for purpose.
– Education, including the restoration and increased provision of SNA’s, and an education which is truly free.
– Have gainful and decent employment which would provide dignity, respect and a living wage.
– Democratic Reform where citizens are at the heart of decision making.
– Housing, and to end homelessness and clearing of social housing waiting lists.
– Sustainable Energy, fighting climate change is not a ‘cost’ – it is a necessary strategy for human survival.
– Natural Resources. The assets of our nation were declared in the 1916 Proclamation as belonging to the citizens of Ireland, a Proclamation which
also pledged to cherish all the citizens of the state equally. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is one of the biggest threats to people’s ability to provide labour, social, and environmental protection and represents a proposed transfer of economic and political sovereignty from the Irish citizens to multi-national corporations.
– Equality, the right to equality encompasses social and economic rights which are implied and un-enumerated rights in our Constitution. These rights should be protected in legislation which will address the issues of poverty.
– Debt Justice, as past recklessness of financial speculation is imposing an intolerable burden on people’s future.
Just us at the Main Guard, Clonmel at 2pm.
Seamus Healy TD – 0872802199
Focus Ireland Spokesperson said:This is far from rent certainty.
However, we are highly concerned it will fail to stem the constant rising flow of 70 to 80 families becoming homeless in Dublin alone very month. —–The measures are far from a convincing response to the scale of the problems we are facing.
Kelly sought that rent increases be pegged to the cost of living. But Minister Noonan(FG) backed by 25 FG Landlord TDs, and American developers Kennedy Wilson forced him to bend the knee and retreat.
Landlords can only increase the rent every two years now rather than every year as before. Landlords must get three local examples of rents to justify an increase.!!! This will make almost no difference. In a situation where there is no competition between landlords due to shortage of accomodation, landlords can simply raise the rent by double the yearly increase every two years! OR, WORSE STILL, RAISE THE RENT BY A LARGE AMOUNT BEFORE THE LAW COMES IS PASED. The Dáil sat all night to bail out the Banks. But there is no urgency about protecting tenants!
I am shocked by the jailing of five water protesters for contempt of court yesterday
I wish to condemn these jailings and to call for the immediate release of the protesters
It is important to remember that these jailings are not as a result of any crime or act of violence committed, but for a technical ‘contempt of court’ issue.
They stand in stark contrast to the impunity of those who brought about the financial crisis which has resulted in untold hardship for communities across Ireland – hardship further exacerbated by the imposition of water charges. The movement against water charges has been based on mass peaceful protest, and this will continue.
The ultimate responsibility for these incarcerations lies with the Government who have made a political choice to impose water charges on communities. The protestors jailed today are simply protecting themselves, their children and their communities from further political attacks on their living standards. They should be freed without delay.
We have a country where 37% of children live in deprivation and 1.7 million citizens have less than €100 disposal income monthly. Moreover, another 500,000 citizens have nothing left after bills have been paid. The communities represented by the protesters jailed today are the human face of these statistics. I again call on the Government to show common sense, halt the installation of water meters and abolish these charges. This is necessary to prevent any further unnecessary confrontation in the interests of both communities and workers.
Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
Press Statement By Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
Minister Alan Kelly is about to give away the exemption Irelands holds from directly charging for domestic water under EU Law. Unless he desists and renews Ireland’s exemption by Jan 1st 2015, it will lapse. This will make it more difficult for future governments to abolish direct charges for domestic water.
I call on Minister Kelly to immediately renew the exemption so that the power to charge or not to charge for domestic water will remain with the Irish people and the Dáil into the future.
I have asked him to do so in a Parliamentary Question which I have tabled. The text of the PQ is carried below.
Former MEP, Kathy Sinnott explained in a recent opinion piece in the Irish Times(Nov 20,2014) : “In 2000, the Irish government brokered this exemption and the inclusion of article 9.4 which formally and legally absolves Ireland and only Ireland from the requirement to charge for domestic water.
As an MEP I brought this to the public attention in 2008 when the last government was introducing water charges for schools. On April 17th of that year minister John Gormley stated in the Dáil that “The only exemption available to Ireland, and availed of, is contained in article 9.4 and relates to dwelling houses using water for ordinary household purposes”.”
This government has no mandate to give away our exemption from domestic water charges. The Labour Party promised in the last election that it would prevent Fine Gael from introducing domestic water charges. Now a Labour Minister is not only introducing the charges but is giving away the power of our parliament to abolish them in future. Irish democracy is being undermined by Minister Kelly and his government.
I call on all Oireachtas members from Co Tipperary including Senator Landy(Lab) and Minister Tom Hayes to stop this national betrayal now!
Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
Question for Written Answer by Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
To ask the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD,
If he will confirm that there is, at present in 2014, no requirement for charges to be imposed on domestic dwellings for the use of water from public mains for domestic purposes under the EU Water Framework Directive and that article 9.4 formally and legally absolves Ireland from the requirement to charge for domestic water
and
If he will ensure on behalf of the Irish Government that this exemption is renewed before Jan 1,2015 so that Irish governments will retain the power to charge or not to charge for the use of water for domestic purposes into the future
and if he will make a statement on the matter?
Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
The irony and hypocrisy of today’s announcement introducing water charges by Labour Party Minister Alan Kelly T.D. will not be lost on the general public.
During the last General Election Minister Kelly and the Labour Party asked the people of North Tipperary to vote for him to prevent Fine Gael imposing Water Charges. He stood on a Labour Party Manifesto which opposed Water Charges. His Party published a “Tesco Ad” warning people not to vote for Fine Gael because that Party wanted to introduce Water Charges.
He is now doing a complete U Turn, breaking the promises and commitments he and his party made. He is now introducing water charges himself. This is the sort of hypocrisy which is undermining our democracy.
Labour Leader Joan Burton T.D., contrary to commitments and promises has presided over the destruction of social welfare services. Child poverty is now at 28.6% with 130,000 additional children living in poverty, affected no doubt by the savage child benefit cuts introduced by Minister Burton.
The list of other cuts include Respite Care Grant, abolition of Telephone Allowance, reduction in Free Fuel and Electricity Payments, reduction in Maternity Benefit and One Parent Family Payment, abolition of the Bereavement Grant and the list goes on.
This Government, despite election promises, are now implementing the austerity policies of the previous Fianna Fáil/Green Government.
This Government cannot be trusted and has no mandate for austerity or for the introduction of water charges.
The lie is being peddled that the public won’t pay for water. But the public have paid, are paying and continue to pay for water through general taxation.
The water charges now being proposed are double taxation and are an attempt to make hard-pressed families pay a second time.
IT WON’T WORK
Today’s announcements amount to political trickery to get the water charges across the line and establish the principle of charging for water at any cost.
Once Water Charges are established, water will become a commodity and charges will rise to full cost recovery under EU law.
Today’s announcements amount to the “thin end of the wedge”, “casting out a sprat to catch a salmon”, “ a supermarket loss leader”, “come into my parlour said the spider to the fly”.
The public know that this is a trap and will not be fooled.
The Public knows that Water Charges introduced at a low level will, like refuse/bin charges balloon to significant sums.
What did happen with Bin Charges??
I was a member of Clonmel Corporation when Bin Charges were introduced at the minimal rate of £5 per year. I opposed those charges as the thin end of the wedge that would in time hit hard pressed families.
I was of course ridiculed by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour Councillors. One Councillor threw a box of matches across the table at me saying the charges are only the cost of a box of matches a week.
But what happened? Bin Charges are now €300 per year, more than 30 times the introductory “offer”; the waiver for low income families has been abolished and the service has been privatised.
That is the future if we allow the introduction of water charges. The public know that and they will not be sold a pup, like they were by the Labour Party in the 2011 General Election.
Families have had enough after 6 years of austerity and this hated water charge is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Water is a human right, a public good that must not be commodified, commercialised or privatised. It is the responsibility of the State to protect the public’s right to safe, secure accessible and affordable water. Water is a human right and a public good and must not be turned into a profit making opportunity for National or Multinational Corporations.
Promises of legislation to prevent privatisation are simply that …”promises” from a government that cannot be trusted.
Proposed legal changes to cap charges for a number of years, to make it more difficult to privatise Irish Water or to require a plebiscite are completely bogus. Any Act can be repealed or amended by a simple majority of deputies. A Legal provision to require a two thirds majority or even a 100% agreement to privatise Irish Water can be repealed by a simple majority. Such a proposal is pure deception.
If the government was sincere on this issue, it would agree to a constitutional amendment.
The Public know that only People Power can abolish water charges and secure the status of water as a human right and a public good.
The most important task now is for the “Risen People” to turn out in huge numbers for the National Protest in Dublin on 10th December next and in Tipperary to support the Nenagh March next Saturday 22nd November at 2pm and the Clonmel March on Saturday 29th November at 2pm.
Seamus Healy T.D. 19/11/2014
Tel 087 2802199
The Workers and Unemployed Action will run a subsidised(€5) bus to Dublin for this very important event on Wednesday, 10 December 2014.
The bus will leave the Cashel Road Clonmel at 9am sharp.
Anyone interested in going please contact Seamus Healy’s office at 052-6121883
