Those whom the gods seek to destroy they first turn mad. That sentiment comes to mind with regard to the bizarre contribution of a former Minister this evening. His story seems to be that it is all RTE’s fault. Whether that is an acknowledgment that former Workers’ Party people are no longer running RTE or whether it is more sinister, a blatant attempt to intimidate RTE to stop reporting the truth, I am not quite sure, but it certainly is bizarre. It is something that has arisen tonight and in line with something we heard last night from his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, who told us that those opposed to these water charges want everything but do not want to pay for anything. How dare the Minister say any such thing.
This is the same Deputy Alan Kelly who stood in the general election in 2011 in Tipperary North. He knocked on every door in that constituency and asked every voter to give him their number one vote so that he could make sure that Fine Gael would not impose water charges on this country and on the people of this country. This is the same Deputy Kelly, now deputy leader of the Labour Party, who stood in that election on a manifesto which opposed the introduction of water charges. It is the same Deputy Kelly who supported the infamous – or famous, whichever one wants to call it – Tesco advertisement which warned the people that Fine Gael had water charges in store for them. Fine Gael were going to impose water charges on this country while he and the Labour Party were going to stop it. This is the type of hypocrisy from people like the Minister, Deputy Kelly and former Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte and others in the Labour Party. It it the type of hypocrisy that has brought politics and politicians into disrepute over the years.
I say to Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, who spoke about rural Deputies, I certainly have not registered, I will not register and I will not be paying this unfair, unjust double tax. This is an attempt to make ordinary people, ordinary families, pay for a recession in which they had no hand, act or part in creating and it is a method of ensuring that very wealthy people who have earned huge incomes, assets and profits during the course of this recession, have been allowed to get off scot-free.
Last night the Minister, Deputy Kelly, also indicated – perhaps inadvertently – where these water charges are going. He said that England and Wales have charges of €540. That is where these charges are going – up, not down. They will be going up in the very same way as the refuse charges. In my county the refuse charges were introduced at £5 punts and they are now €350.
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
Workers & Unemployed Action 