Water Services (Exempt Charges) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Sep 2014)
Water is a right and this water tax is an outrageous attack on families who will be unable to pay it.
The MABS report issued today states that families have a disposable income of €9 per week after bills are paid. Even at this late stage the Government should reverse this charge which will be opposed tooth and nail right across the country. I support the Bill and it is outrageous that the exemption for boil-water notices has come at this late stage.
Contaminated water is being supplied to households and the exemption should apply from day one and not after a period of time of three or six months. Houses in the Burncourt and Skeheenarinky area of south Tipperary, like 20,000 or 30,000 houses all over the country, must be exempt from day one.
Families who are supplied with hard water are being forced to pay over the odds to replace clapped out electric kettles and washing machines and dryers. They have been forced to buy machines to reduce the hardness of the water, costing anything up to €1,000 to install and with ongoing maintenance costs. These machines must be flushed out on a weekly basis which adds to the costs.
There are thousands of such families across the northern area of Clonmel and throughout south Tipperary who should also be exempt from this water charge.
Seamus Healy TD
0872802199
The Workers and Unemployed Action will run a subsidised (€5) bus to Dublin for this very important event on Saturday 11th October.
The bus will leave the Cashel Road Clonmel at 10am sharp.
Anyone interested in going please contact Seamus Healy ‘s office at 052-6121883
In light of Irish Water stating yesterday that they will not have charges identified until after the elections despite the Taoiseach stating to the contrary during Leaders Questions on 04 February http://wp.me/p1Uvd5-wN , Deputy Healy again asked the Taoseach this morning:
Deputy Healy asks the Taoiseach the following questions with regard to the introduction of the water charges:
“Where water is not fit for purpose, such as in the case of the 18,000 families subject to boil water notices like residences in my constituency served by the Burncourt regional water supply scheme, will families be charged for water?”
“Where hard water is supplied and is corroding electric kettles, shower heads, washing machines and dishwashers, as is the case across the northern part of Clonmel, will the families be charged for water?”
“A huge number of premises will not be metered before the introduction of the charges. How will the bills for these families be calculated?”
“What will be the free water allowance? Will larger households get a larger free allowance of water?”
“Where individuals have special needs for extra drinking water, will the extra amount be free?”
“Will individuals with medical conditions requiring frequent use of toilet facilities, for example those suffering from incontinence, prostate problems or Crohn’s disease, be provided with extra free water for sanitation?”
In addition Deputy Healy asked the Taoiseach if he had misled the Dáil last week, reminding the Taoiseach of his reply which is on the Dáil record, or had Irish Water mislead the Dáil Environment Committee yesterday.
Link to this mornings show:
Seamus Healy TD on Morning Ireland re Water Charges
Courtesy of Morning Ireland:
How long before consumers know how much they will pay in water charges?
Seamus Healy, Independent TD for South Tipperary, discusses claims by Taoiseach Enda Kenny that water charges will be revealed before the local and European elections.
The link above is for the whole programme, the relevant piece starts at 27 minutes 45 seconds, or, click the option on the right which reads:
“How long before consumers know how much they will pay in water charges?”
This will bring you directly to the relevant podcast.
