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TAOISEACH BRIAN COWEN has apologised for his performance on a morning radio interview on Tuesday, which sparked criticism in the global media.
Speaking on RTÉ News, Cowen said: “I want to make it very clear that I had no intention whatsoever of showing any disrespect to the people of Ireland”.
He admitted that it wasn’t his “best interview” ever, and said that the “tone was not good because of the hoarseness in my voice”.
He added: “I’m sorry it emerged in the quality that it did, I never intended to show any disrespect or casualness.”
When asked about his feelings towards Simon Coveney, who sent a tweet accusing Cowen of being “drunk or hungover” while on air, the Taoiseach replied: “There is no basis for the assertion made by political opponents… I’ve always taken my role seriously, and I ask others to reflect of their responsibilities.”
He insisted that the suggestion were “without justification and foundation”.
Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney also spoke to RTÉ, saying: “I do accept what the Taoiseach has to say. It takes a big person to apologise”.
Coveney said he did not regret his tweet, insisting that it “reflected what a lot of people were thinking”.
However he said that now it was time to drop the subject: “We need to get on with solving the big problems that really affect people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Labour’s Brendan Howlin took a sterner approach, saying that while it was up to people to make up their own minds about the reasons for Cowen poor performance, and it was not just a case of “one interview” that had gone wrong.
Course not.. Pushing an agenda more important.. Fix the leaks..
@Willy Malone: I can’t wait until they fix all of the leaks. Out water network is outrageous. But if they started fixing all of them tomorrow, it would cost billions, literally all of the roads would be shut down for months, and all of the pipes would be shut down for months. Fixing all of the leaks is necessary, but it’s not a solution for the problem this week or next.
‘“We’re monitoring the situation on a day-to-day basis,” the spokeswoman said”
subtext:
‘Hey Eoghan, I think the public need more convincing – What dya think?’
@Jimmy Coltrane: they ARE fixing the leaks! They’ve only been in a wet day (I beg of you to excuse the pun)… but they don’t have a magic wand!
@Stephen Boland:
Perhaps they need a few more highly paid consultants to look into the hole.
@Conor Paddington: The Billions on meters woulda went some way eh?
@Stephen Boland: You’re buying the spin. Households are fixing more leaks than Irish Water and the situation is worse since they’ve come in: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/mains-supply-awash-with-leaks-behind-dublin-water-shortage-1.3561620?mode=amp#.W0dAKi9wNWF.facebook
@Willy Malone: yeah, fine. Probably. I think it was in the range of 200 million, but still, that’s a lot. BUT, is dwelling on that going to cure the current drought?
@Stephen Boland: did you guys fit meters at connection points to help fix the leaks? That would be a start. Btw: is this nationwide, because I’m pretty sure the reservoirs in Donegal are overflowing! It’s almost like you don’t measure the water going in, or the leaks going out (even after presumably “metering” the network with useless meters.
@Willy Malone: They are fixing them, your ignorance not withstanding.
@Gulliver Foyle: you guys?
@Willy Malone: who is going to pay to fix the leaks… you and Paul Murphy??
Dear oh dear.
2014: “FIX THE BLOODY LEAKS”, response “that will cost BILLIONS”
2018 and billions spent later on meters, consultants, Audis, golden handshakes etc…. “FIX THE BLOODY LEAKS”, response “that will cost BILLIONS”
I think it’s willful ignorance at this stage…..
@Willy Malone: in occonnor st..i saw two council workers useing high powered hoses..that were nearly flooding the street..way beyond just cleaning it….when i mentioned it to the water board they just fobbed me off..said that was commercial usage…and we supposedly are meant to be near a drought….whoes running the show here!…and whats the point then of ordinary every day folk saving water so that we all dont die of thirst..!
@Conor Paddington: Conor they’ve had 5 years to at least tackle some of the the problem and have failed miserably. The reason we have a drought now is not because of the lack of rain but because of IW
@The Risen:
,,,but they have been fixing leaks, since 2014, 115 million litres of water per day has been saved.
477m on meters (which are used to find the leaks)
80m on consultants.
… not billions as you like to claim
I think it is you who are wilfully ignorant of the facts…
@Willy Malone:
477m on meters, not billions.
meters are used to source leaks. the alternative method of sourcing leaks is about 9x more expensive.
@Toon Army:
and how were those leaks found out about?
…I think you will find it was the water meters. Those leaks were inside the houses, IW are not your household plumber.
IW did however fix 26000 leaks between the meter and the house. Also found with the meters.
@Conor Paddington: Since 1997 29 Billion Euro was collected for water. What has been done with this money?
@Nucky: correct. Failing to fix the leaks is the cause of this problem. However, fixing them won’t be a solution to the problem this summer.
@Conor Paddington: If the lay new pipes alonside existing pipes and transfer the water to them when each section is finished
@victor feldman: DCC use water from the canals to clean the streets, not drinking water.
@Conor Paddington: Its great having yourself and Tim Pot on here spreading false propaganda regarding the water quango, you two are doing a great job re-affirming people’s valid doubts on this entire fiasco. Keep up the good work boys ;-)
@Tim Pot: Actually of the 28,000 of leaks,21,000 situated in houses,7000 in gardens.Householders therefore fixed vast majority of leaks!
No, but fixing the leaks will
@P Quinn: they are
@Thomas O’ Donnell: “they” are doing nothing
@Thomas O’ Donnell: They obviously aren’t. What makes you think that a fake billing company will ever physically fix anything?
@P Quinn: Are you offering to pay?
@Ronan Sexton: If an ignorant water protester doesn’t know something is happening, that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
@Will J. Browne: funny guy. If only we were as stupid as you thought. Your B.S won’t work
@P Quinn:
Great News!
They are fixing leaks, here is a handy maps to show you where.
https://www.water.ie/projects-plans/our-projects/
IW are fixing/replacing/laying 261km of pipe in 2018 alone
@Tim Pot: The Local Authorities have also fixed leaks before IW set up…eg “How is leakage managed/Dublin City Council http://www.dublincity.ie shows that “Dublin Region has been very proactive in managing water leakage since the mid 1990′s through the :Active Leakage Programme and the Watermains Rehabilitation Programme …..leakage levels reduced from 43% to 29% from 1997-2009!!!!!!
@Nuala Mc Namara:
Yes, just over 1% leakage reduction per year, which is the same level IW are targeting nationally.
As you will know it is not just fix and forget, leakage reduction is an ongoing challenge, some of the pipes are over 60 years old.
Why is a private billing company informing us of the drought situation. Oh now i remember the information comes from the county councils who do all the water work anyway.
@Stephen Grehan: Next thing you know they will be calling us customers LOL.
@Stephen Grehan: they do call the clouds “externally contacted 3PPs” on internal documents, to be fair. Mad as a brush, those “semi state” civil servants
@Stephen Grehan: who do you think should fund the water system… the paye worker (who has been left funding it since FF abolished rates)?.? Should the paye worker also pay for his/her neighbours electricity and gas also? Already paying for waste.
@Stephen Grehan: Lots of IW staff were former council staff, with more due to be transferred in the coming years. It is not true to say that only the councils do the work as they previoulsy contracted out a lot of the work themselves.
They might be the same staff but IW are saving the taxpayer ~100m/yr compared to when it was 34 councils managing the water in their own different ways.
As an example, cork city and county had completely separate water supplies, now they do not and it is saving you (the taxpayer) money.
@Tim Pot: The former council staff, the managers and other council officials got their reward for allowing the collapse of the water infrastructure by taking early retirement, with golden handshake, plus pension and walked into IW where they can expect another pension and golden handshake when they retire.
The wages of corruption.
Again with this fictional company, journal?
Local authorities say weekend rain will not end drought conditions.
Call a spade a spade.
@Trevor Hayden:
Fictional is your comment, factual is that IW are managing the water network. The remainder of council staff will be transferred to IW in the coming years.
(and saving ~100m/yr compared to when the 34 LA’s managed it in separate ways.)
Surely there takin the piss now. First 4/5 weeks of consistent sunshine/ dry weather in decades, and we have hose pipe bans and conservation orders put in place. Shur they have to pump double the amount of water into the system because of the leaks. If I didn’t believe these honourable and well intentioned people, I would think that they were trying to push some sort of an agenda at this stage.
@DMur:
No they have not decided to take your piss to fill the reservoirs… that is fake news!
They are fixing leaks, here is a handy maps to show you where.
https://www.water.ie/projects-plans/our-projects/
IW are fixing/replacing/laying 261km of pipe in 2018 alone
@DMur: Facebook is full of pictures and video of full reservoirs. How come not one media agency has sent a photographer to these places to give us an accurate water level. At least then we’d know who’s information is bull
I don’t believe a word of it!
We are paying €1.2 billion a year since 1997 specifically for the upkeep and maintenance of our water infrastructure, I would like to know what the cartel of FF Labour FG have done with our money…?
@Anti Toxic Quango: could you reference your sources on that please? Rather than just throwing the same tired numbers around?
@Anti Toxic Quango: The figure fluctuates a lot (depending on government budgets and priorities). The money was spent on water infrastructure that was inefficiently managed relative to the whole country. We have something like over 800 water treatment plants when we only need ~300. This was because 34 LA’s managed the water independently of each other.
@Stephen Boland: catch up, this is common knowledge!
@Colette Kearns: We are not paying anything. The shortfall caused by that has to be filled from the housing budget. Catch up! That’s common knowledge.
What’s ‘Irish Water’?
@Paul Mcnevin:Its a scam put together by Hogan, Kenny, Kelly, O’Brien, Paul you know the usual suspects.
@Stephen Grehan: It’s a water company. A lot of Irish people are suspicious of it. It’s a peculiarly Irish phenomenon that shows that ignorant superstition and fear of the new still thrive here. Some people become afraid when we try to move from the old backward ways we used to have. It’s like in the old days when people thought science was witchcraft.
@Will J. Browne:
Agreed, its the same with cancer in the pylons, cancer in the wind turbines…
@Tim Pot: Tghe two IW or government spokesmen ganging up on anyone who comments suggesting that an agenda is at work here re water.
They are correct.
Both of you are wrong, simply pumping out spin.
@Dave Doyle: Strangest of all is when they all assemble for mass marches, following their cultish leaders and chanting incantations to make the “evil” water company go away. Anthropologists have come from all over the world to witness these bizarre events.
@Will J. Browne: FG fanboy. You need more than anthropologists to figure out your bizarre love for the cult of FG who see delight in the homeless dying on the streets of the country. See people on hospital waiting lists for treatment for years. See 7 managers for each doctor in the HSE, people left to die on trollies in hospital corridors. See mass evictions that rival what Trevelyan done on the native Irish during genocide times. See a country awash with water not being able to plan for the occassional drought.
Leo’s in need of another lick, off you go.
This is all about getting people to comply with the dictates from IW. Complience is what they need to make themselves relevant.
@Dave Doyle: It’s noticeable how water protesters and climate change denialists sound almost exactly alike.
@Dave Doyle:
#waterconspiracy
@Will J. Browne: So water protesters are all climate change deniers?
Just more slander, nothing else.
Slander is all the government had and have.
Why is the spokesperson unnamed? Regards Bill
@Bill Brown: ha ha he doesn’t want his neighbors to know where he works.
Irish Water Ltd has no power to impose any bans as it is a private company governed by shares it can’t actually enact any legislation. Only Government can. So Irish water can’t extend anything. It may be totally owned by the government but it’s still just a limited company with no power over citizens of Ireland. It’s all in the set up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@Stephen Fitzgerald:
Thats the spirit, show them who is really in control by watering your roses!
….enjoy your €125 fine
@Tim Pot: Are you IW’s spokesman?
this is ridiculous, it is summer time, there is going to be spells of hot dry weather, fix the leaks, build reservoirs to store more water. Families in the summer time can’t even fill a paddling pool in their back garden, it’s utter nonsense.
@Lisa Byrne: our normal spells of hot dry weather are usually 3-4 days in an Irish summer. We haven’t had this kind of summer since 1976. Even if the joke that is IW did have all the leaks under control I doubt we’d have enough water to fill your paddling pool. Building extra reservoirs for once in every 40 year freak weather doesn’t make sense
@Sea Graham: Of course it makes sense to build reservoirs and fix the leaks, it is common sense, that was the whole point of Irish Water was to look after the water, they have 1 job. It might not be a freak of weather nature and could continue, the climate is changing, I know it, you know it, baby jesus knows it.
@Sea Graham: We need more reservoirs anyway instead of ridiculous ideas of pumping more water to Dublin from the Shannon. Dublin’s business infrastructure and population has expanded greatly over the years but services have not. Summer weather should not cause hose pipe bans and inability to fill a paddling pool so people can actually enjoy it. We get endless rain most of the year storing this water makes sense, climate change is happening for whatever reason and demand for water from business and population growth is only going to increase.
@Heather Knowles:
Reservoirs need a supply of water.
The shannon scheme will supply water to reservoirs…
@Tim Pot: It’s all set up as an earner for Dennis. Nothing else.
@Dave Doyle: Yes its all a conspiracy…
The most amusing part about the media constantly mentioning this fake company is that every article about them is convincing the very few remaining doubters that this fake company is indeed utterly fake and useless. Lots of own goals there lads, give over. You are fooling no one.
@Ronan Sexton: I don’t think so. If someone is willfully ignorant then they’ll stay at the same level of ignorance no matter what they’re told. That’s why there will always remain a small cohort of water protesters. Open minded people will, in contrast, respond to information and modulate their opinions accordingly.
@Will J. Browne: ignorance is the stupidity of you and your people ignoring the voices of the population. Now pack your bags and f#ck off
@Will J. Browne: I can show you where the door is if you’d like
@Will J. Browne: would you prefer the window
@Will J. Browne: your not only ignorant but quite frankly rude
@Will J. Browne: you’re annoying me now
@Will J. Browne: wrong
@Will J. Browne: And very poorly informed
@Will J. Browne: let’s cut down all the trees and start charging people for air.. That’s my next idea… What’s yours?
@Ronan Sexton:
I get you, because we have no water, we don’t need a water company. You makes sense…. not
Its all a mega conspiracy lads…
@Tim Pot: Simply because people do not believe what either IW or the government has to say does not mean they are conspiracy theorists.
Any conspiracy is by IW and FFG and their agenda to privatise the water resource.
Look on the bright side, if river levels rise maybe councils can start pouring sewage back into rivers. This drought has not only effected water supply’s but also sewage discharge. Maybe IW would like to explain how councils are dealing with this problems and how to reduce ‘customers’ bodily functions. maybe a ban on no.2′s.
These clowns give out about leaks & bursting pipes all flamin winter, then moan about drought during the summer. Are they doing anything positive at all? How do they justify their wages? Paid directly by the taxpayers, so no need to report in on any plans etc…
@Joe Hill:
Joe… it is their job to supply us with water, so when they cannot, due to burst pipes in winter, or droughts affecting supply in summer, would you not think they should inform us and keep us up to date…?
Here are the plans, on their website of all places…
https://www.water.ie/projects-plans/our-projects/
@Tim Pot: You must believe in conspiracies to believe anything from IW.
Paper never refuses ink.
@Tim Pot: IW’s job is to bill people fior water. They were set up for nothing else. They are incapable of doing anything else.
@Dave Doyle:
Quick you better tell them to stop fixing leaks, building new treatment plants ect…
I thought the Irish people voted to kick irsh water in the ass why are they sill around doesn’t make since backdoor job comes to mind doesn’t matter anyway general election on the way
@Liam Ward: What vote was that?
@Thomas O’ Donnell: The people’s vote. We all had a word, were you not there ?
@Liam Ward: that sentence is very Joycean, almost a literary rendering of the fluidity of Irish water: kudos to you fine sir, kudos!
@Liam Ward: the vote to put FG back in was it??
@Tim Pot: “put FG back in” That never happened. Fg are “back in” by way of back room deals made with a number of so called independents and a supposed opposition. Hence a MINORITY FG led government.
It has made a total mockery of democracy.
You’ve nailed your couours to the mast now.
Every bit of BS you utter on this thread is nothing but FG government spin and lies to futher the privatisation agenda.
@Dave Doyle:
Haha if that is not spin I don’t know what is…
Feel free to point out any of my ‘lies’?
Won’t be to long now till iw will be giving us flood warnings!
Love these guys
I find it amazing how there are so many people that use water between 10pm and 6am that the pressure needs reducing. It’s more likely that the amount of leaks in the system allows so much water to leak that it’s the same usage at night time as it is during the day
Hold on we live Ireland yet there is no rain and we have a drought what a bizarre year we are having
@Darren Farrell: In Bulgaria here, we have long, very hot summers, every year, not just once in a blue moon. Bulgaria doesn’t have the rainfall or anything like Ireland’s water resource. Yet there is no hosepipe bans, no water being cut off, little leakage, leaks are fixed.
The difference is there is no agenda to privatise the water resource here.
It’s as simple as that.
@Dave Doyle: We should do what they do then. How much are water charges in Bulgaria?
@Ronan Shalloe: About 1.35 incl.vat euro per cubic meter here in Burgas. That’s total charge including waste water. Pricies vary around the country. There is a review of charges at the end of this year which will probably result in a reduction. The regulator isn’t happy with the levels of price rises.
@Dave Doyle: Do you have any objection to paying that?
@Ronan Shalloe: None at all. Just like no one any objection to paying for water. You pay you bill and that’s it.
It’s entirely another matter when you’re lied to to force you to pay again for water, slander you when you object to paying twice, have the agenda of privatising the water resource behind it.
Is that what you’re getting at?
@Dave Doyle: Right2Water object to it. They’re an anti-water charge campaign. It says so on their Facebook page. We can’t do what they do in Bulgaria because Right2Water would protest against it. Is that not the difference between us and Bulgaria?
@Ronan Shalloe: I guessed that’s what you were driving at. FG lied about water charges and the reasons for them. Water you well know is and always was paid for. No one ever got water for free, despite the lies told by FFG, and believed by the fanboys like yourself.
IW is corrupt, it was set up in lies and corruption. The lies were very easy see through. The agenda for privatisation is still alive
A few more protests are needed to remind FFG who actually calls the shots. This time a few French style tactics should be involved just to show FFG what exactly is at stake.
@Dave Doyle: In Ireland we try to pay for water from general taxation; in Bulgaria they pay directly. From your experience, which one works best? Would you recommend the Bulgarian method to us, or would you recommend our way of doing it to the Bulgarians?
@Ronan Shalloe: Since 1997 29 Billion hs been collected for water. Not one cent of it accounted for. In fact the government denied that water was ever paid for.
Legislation was passed for a designated proportion of two tax vehicles tax money to go to water services. More than sufficient was collected for water services by this method. It’s an easy painless way of paying for water. As long as the designated funds go to where it’s intended for. It’s as clear as day that this never happened.
The government lied through their teeth on the issue.
Paying by direct metered readings has it’s merits. For it to work in Ireland the designated proporation of tax must be reduced first.
So much corruption surrounds these so called Smart water meters, the forcing of them on people who rightfully seen no reason for them, that they will never be acceptable to the majority of Irish people.
@Dave Doyle: What you’ve said is that the Irish system sucks, which it does. You’ve suggested they change it to something like the Bulgarian system, which you’ve seen and works great, but then you’ve said you won’t allow them do that and will protest against it using violence. I’m not sure what the government is supposed to do here.
@Ronan Shalloe: Go away Ronan, no where in my reply did i advocate violence. You’ve twisted my words to suit your arguement.
I said the Irish system is a painless way of paying. Not that it sucks. I never suggested they change.
@Dave Doyle: When water charges were introduced tax was reduced. The only difference was that you knew where the money was going and that the water system could look after itself even when there were recessions. The idea that there was ever a portion of general taxation that was designated for water is completely bogus. It never happened and it’s not the way general taxation works.
@Dave Doyle: What did you mean by French style tactics? The Irish system of paying is very painless: we don’t pay for it. That’s the difference between us and the Bulgarians.
Here’s a comparison image I made that shows the effects of the drought from space
https://i.imgur.com/7xASg1A.jpg
And a comparison between drought conditions and before the drought
@David Jordan: that’s pretty cool
@David Jordan: that’s very good well done lad
Maybe freest could come and fix the leak I reported on several occasions over the last several weeks water literally gong down the drain on a picnic path. Greenest grass in the town beside it
If it’s good enough for up North of The Island to abandon the ban, it’s good enough for the South of the Island to follow suit?
Oh fuq of irish waster ffs
Everyone is tired of you”r lying crud
have your say