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
WUA Alone in Opposing Budget 2015 for Co Tipperary at Estimates Meeting
Almost 33million Euro per year taken from Economy of Co Tipperary by FG/Lab Government since 2011 through reduction in annual General Purpose Grant to Local Authorities From General Taxation
I proposed the rejection of the Budget for 2015 at the estimates meeting of Co Tipperary Co council. No councillor could be found to second the motion and all other councillors agreed the budget.
The budget for 2015 contains the extraction of an additional €12.245 million out of the economy of Co Tipperary in the coming year. This is because Minister Kelly has replaced more than half of government funding for the year by the proceeds of Local Property Tax collected from the citizens of Co Tipperary.
I opposed these estimates because to do otherwise would be to agree to this large additional extraction of money from the people of Co Tipperary
As can be seen from the figures below, Minister Kelly’s government has reduced government funding to Tipperary local authorities by almost €33 million or 75% since it came to power in 2011. This extraction by Alan Kelly’s government out of the economy of County Tipperary is a huge factor in depressing the local economy, keeping unemployment high and reducing demand to small businesses.
North and South Tipp are in the highest regions of unemployment in Ireland according to official figures.
The budget also provided money for JUNKETS (travel and maintenance for councillors at conferences at home and abroad). I proposed that this money be set aside for childrens’ playgrounds. This amendment was defeated by a large majority. The provision for junkets was contained in the final overall budget for which all councillors voted, except myself.
On top of the property tax, water charges are to be imposed from 01 January 2015. This will extract even more money from the local economy causing further depression and crucifying already hard pressed people. According to the Nevin Economic Research Institute, the poorest 10% are paying a higher proportion of income tax than the top 10%!
DOUBLE TAXATION
WE are already paying for water and other local services, through general taxation, direct and indirect. Now we are being forced to pay a second time through these charges for services which have been reduced by government cuts.
This money is being diverted to pay part of the €8 billion per year interest which recent governments have incurred through bailing out billionaire investors in bust banks.
Local property Tax and Water Charges are devices to make the ordinary person pay for bailing out banks.
Minister Noonan has informed the Dail that the top 10,000 income earners have €595,000 Euro per year EACH. Financial assets of households (shares, bank deposits, insurance policies) are now back above peak boom levels at €334 billion Euro gross (CSO Institutional sector accounts). The wealthiest 300 Irish citizens have a total of €62 Billion Euro in Assets(Nick Webb, Sunday Independent)
Minister Kelly and his government should take the money from them and use it to abolish home and water taxes.
Councillor Pat English, Workers and Unemployed Action
Notes:
Total General Purpose Grant (GPG) To ALL Co Tipperary
Local Authorities (Euro)
YEAR 2008 2011 2013 2014 2015
GPG Total 54,684,395 43,644,608 38,271,37 2 22,755,110 11,075,302
Note GPG =20% of 2008 Figure , GPG= 25% of 2011 figure when current government came to power
The figure of 11,075,302 contains a net 1.25 million Euro received from the property tax national equalisation fund
Total Local Property Tax Collected from households in Co Tipperary was 12.245 Million Euro
MONEY EXTRACTED FROM CO Tipperary since 2008 through reduction of GPG, 54.684-11.075= 43.609 Million Euro
MONEY EXTRACTED FROM CO Tipperary since 2011 through reduction of GPG, 43.645-11.075= 32.570 Million Euro
The figure for General Purpose Grant given in the Budget 2015 by Tipperary Co Council is 23,320,100 Euro. But this figure contains the 12.245 million collected in property tax in Co Tipperary and an additional 1.25 million from the national property tax equalisation fund, money collected in property tax from more populous counties.
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
Workers & Unemployed Action 