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BRENDAN HOWLIN HAS claimed that the abolition of Irish Water would cost €900 million.
The Public Expenditure and Reform Minister was responding to both of the main opposition parties committing to the abolition of the controversial utility company in recent weeks.
Sinn Féin has said it will scrap both Irish Water and water charges, insisting it would cost as little as €141 million to do so and that the provision of water would be funded through measures such as a third rate of tax.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told his party’s Ard Fheis at the weekend that Irish Water “should be abolished”, saying: “It has failed and it should go before it does any more damage.”
His party favours the return of water provision to local authorities.
But Howlin explained last night that this would come at a considerable cost, telling a press conference: “They’ve both said they will abolish Irish Water so the consequences of that would be that they would have to find €900 million.
He said that scrapping the controversial utility would involve the loss of €300 million of income in “cash terms” as well “just under €600 million in capital” which, he said, would have to accounted for on the government balance sheet.
So, for them to abolish Irish Water, there is a net cost of €900 million.
The government has insisted that Irish Water will be treated as a semi-state company with the majority of its funding coming outside of government spending.
It is awaiting the decision of the independent Eurostat agency as to whether the utility amounts to a semi-state or if it breaches EU spending guidelines and must remain on the government books.
If this were to happen, the coalition’s spending power in the next Budget would be limited in other areas.
Pending Eurostat’s decision, Irish Water remains on the government’s balance sheet, but the Central Statistics Office has recommended that it be taken off.
Howlin explained last night that if the utility comes off the balance sheet then the projected deficit for this year – the gap between what the government spends and takes in taxes – will be lower.
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Pity they don’t feel the same anger on behalf of the ordinary Irish people who are so affected by this strike. But hey isn’t it nice to know that the militant unions that were around during the old CIE days of the ’70s are still alive and kicking in 2016.
@Karen Delaney: typically union protected spoilt workers
@Karen Delaney: It’s a pity that some of the “ordinary Irish people” who spend their time attacking other workers for defending their terms and conditions can’t see the bigger picture. An injury to any worker is an injury to every worker. The downward trend isn’t just happening in our public transport system and tomorrow or the next day when your job is being degraded maybe you will remember the stand that bus eireann workers took to defend not just their T&Cs and not just public transport in this country but the interests of every working class person, present and future. That’s why I stand in solidarity with bus eireann workers.
@Cian Keogh: Guaranteed overtime is not a “term and condition”..
@Cian Keogh: Most of the “ordinary Irish people” are dependent on public transport to get to their jobs and those jobs probably do not have such attractive pay, terms and conditions as the bus drivers.
I do agree that they have to protect their incomes, the problem is that some of that income is derived from overtime and outdated practices which the company want to address.
@David Mc Nally: Not what I said.
@David Mc Nally: How much of a cut are drivers expected to take? Are you employed by BE? We hear if 38k base and losses of 140 a week to drivers. Hard to know the truth
@Cian Keogh: Emm no its greed and stupidity and it all results in higher prices being passed into other workers. The average Bus Eireann driver is on €55,000. Just like Luas workers – spoilt brats being supported by delusional Trade Unions. I didnt see TUs do ANYTHING during the height of the recession – now all climbing out of the wood work to demand wage increases.
@Karen Delaney:
Hate to tell you but you are a year older than you thought you were. It is now 2017
@lavbeer: they will get a pay increase of 2%. They are striking because they will get an increase in their base pay to be more flexible for the benefit of their customers, the public.
@Linda Nolan: so they are loosing 3 hours overtime at let’s say double time and that will save 5 million? Base pay is 38 to 48 depending on what you read. This OT is taxable at 50%. Think the union needs get some figures out there if that link is true.
Theres a lot of anger from the men and women who have to fork out €20/30+ on a taxi to get to and from work everyday cos these shower dont want to do their work – but I wouldn’t be expecting the union nor the drivers to give a rats toss about them.
Solidarity with the Bus Eireann workers in their battle to defend their livelihoods and to prevent the privatisation of the public transport system. It’s time that Dublin Bus and Iarnroid Eireann came out in support of their fellow transport workers as they will be facing the axe next if the government are successful in dismantling Bus Eireann.
Solidarity with the Bus Eireann workers in their battle to defend their livelihoods and to prevent the privatisation of the public transport system.
Solidarity with the Bus Eireann workers fighting to defend their livelihoods and to prevent the privatization of the public transport network. Dublin Bus and Iarnroid Eireann need to come out in support of their fellow transport workers as they will be the next target under the neoliberal government’s privatization agenda.
@Benjy Dooley: Benjy I see you have no critical remarks to make here concerning the treacherous remark by NBRU chief statibg that he wants the rail workers to keep working despite the Bus Eireann strike.
@Paddy Hackett: I decide what I comment on. Not you. My position on the need for solidarity strikes in Dublin Bus and Iarnroid Eireann is stated above.
@Benjy Dooley: So u are happy for the minority to be over paid and hold the rest to ransom. How is that a fair society. Your ideas are from the 1800 and think you should stay off the net.
Government should put bus eireann into examinership now and make all employees redundant. This will now make the bus drivers respect how good they had it. Good riddens to them
@Sam: You’re dead right. Bus drivers are paid a fair wage excluding overtime. We need to reform the public sector completely, too many lazy and over entitled workers with jobs for life. Corruption is rife. Shame there’s no hard right party to fix it, if Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein get in again it will only make things worse.
I don’t want to privatise the bus service but let’s reform pay structures and cut busy routes which are served by private companies.
@Sam: Bus Eirean is a dinosaur long overdue its extinction, lets see private bus companies run a more efficient service in future.
@David Mc Nally: BE are paid public money to run these routes. These are not in question at all. Expressway is the loss leader for them where they have to compete with private companies. The big mistake was not making BE to incorporate a different company for these competition routes so now this is dragging the whole company down.
Maybe because the private sector are engaged in a race to the bottom,in terms of employment and wages…
Let them all go to wall, bring in private companies,
I agree the banks should have been let go bust a long time ago. Socialism for the rich but not for the ordinary workers right eh?
@Joseph Molloy: That is being seriously considered according to SBP.
Well done to Mr O’Leary, the NBRU, the other unions involved and the workers.
This is an attack by a right wing FG/Ind Alliance Government on transport workers.
Mr Ross also seems to be on strike!!!
@Irish Spider-Man: why are they paid considerably more than their private sector colleagues then?
@Irish Spider-Man: an attack, they have been striking almost every year for the last 30 over something.
@Alan b..: @Alan b.
.: the private workers are sometimes working below minimum wage. That’s why. Not hard to beat that.
@Mary McDonagh Faherty: so why don’t you wanna show some solidarity to those people who are earning half or less than the bus drivers? They should get a pay raise lot more than what the drivers are striking for…
@Aylarth: they don’t have a union to fight for them. If they don’t like their job pay/conditions, they are told to take a hike. They have no protection. I support all workers who stand up for terms they fought for in the past and I would support private drivers too. But they can’t stand up for themselves.
Its amazing had Dublin been brought to a standstill we would have article after article but we barely manage one a day now.
@Paul: what do I know is that if the trains go out then I will not renew my annual pass and join the bike to work scheme. About 10 miles door to door – many more might also consider this
@lavbeer: And you’ll be healthier and happier for it, only 10 miles? I can’t believe you don’t do it already, what’s wrong with you?
Thay should back up the Bus Eireann Drivers and the strike wouldn’t last a day..The private Companies are rubbing their hands together. We’re is Shane Ross?????? He’s knot fit for the job….hanging in for ministers pension…..
Well the lack of leadership from a minister (less of the blank cheque book rhetoric) to take outside the box thinking and bring workers together not private versus public.
Do we expect to believe management are treating their employees badly in a modern time? There would be no strike has it not been for union’s reckless handling and they are sending their members to jump over the cliff…..
Michael O’Leary predicted all this when Luas drivers went on strike. Perhaps he should take over Bus Eireann and bring it back to profitability.
He did it before with Ryanair. #buseireann #busstrike #MichaelOleary
NBRU leader O’Leary said he has told Irish Rail workers to go to work.
This is a stab in the back of the Bus Eireann striking workers by O Leary. How can they win with a traitor like that. The striking workers need to ditch this treacherous leadership and replace it with a leadership that serves its interests. The Bus Eireann workers need the support of all public transport workers if they are to stand a chance of winning.
Delighted for the workers in Bus Eireann hope they achieve their aim at retaining their hard fought terms and conditions. What’s wrong here is that everyone feels that all services that they receive should be at minimal cost to them brought about by low wages to those who provide them. Every where we look this Govt shouts about the great recovery but chances are if you’re not working in Dublin’s digital dock lands you are on very low pay with poor conditions or poor prospects of progression.
@Terry McMahon: define ‘low wages’. The pathetic attempt by O’Leary to blackmail BE management and the government is a new low. In a private company, with finances in that state, workers would be laid off but here with the bully boy NBRU we have threats to bring the whole transport system to a halt and leave ordinary workers stranded. Solidarity with the workers is right, the workers who will be impacted by these strikes.
@Sean @114: There’s always an alternative. How about management cut their own wages and needless administration jobs and then come back to the workers with less of their demands?
@Mary McDonagh Faherty: they lost €6m in 2015 and €9m in 2016. Cutting management’s salaries isn’t going to save them. They have 2600 employees. Everyone has to share the pain. The choice is simple, take a cut or lose your job. Most companies wouldn’t even give you this choice, you would just get statutory redundancy.
@Sean @114: Unfortunately, only the drivers are being asked to take the pain, NOT the management/admin! Drivers are asking to negotiate efficiency measures across the board but are being told no, that they must first accept the demands of the management. There’s been no real attempt by management to negotiate this from what I can see
Do you all remember from history class who started trade unions? And why? So one set of workers who negotiated good terms and now wish to continue those terms are parasites? Because they earn a good wage and so many bus drivers commenting on this post know what it’s like to drive buses and what the job entails? Hang on. #1 we haven’t a clue what the job entails #2 it’s a skilled job entrusted with the responsibility of driving 100s of people safely to their location #3 their union got them a good deal but how dare they try to maintain that? #4 Nurses, teachers etc didn’t get such good terms when they negotiated so the bus drivers now deserve to be cut. #5 as usual nobody focuses on management and admin greed and ‘terms of employment. ‘ Should we really be such a nation of begrudgers? They did well for themselves, but we’ve decided they don’t deserve it cause we know best? What is going on? It’s baffling
Public service workers bar the nurses basically have become parasites
Fire them all and hire hardworking Europeans who know how to manage money.
Spoiled.
@Kilburtech: Real clever, unsustainable imported workforce, great solution you numpty. Any chance of you being replaced with a brighter import?
@Revolting Peasant: Unsustainable? Because the imported workforce would do your job cheaper, better, more promptly and without any additional benefits? Look around, no “imported workforce” gets such a high salary and benefits as any of these bright, talented bus drivers who are ridiculous AF… 2 months after a route and timetable change, they still had to be told where to go with the passengers on board because they dare to get into their seat and drive their buses without knowing where to go! Where on Earth is this considered normal? Also, what is bus eireann timetable? The worst joke this country has! It might exists on paper but noone ever seen it in action…
@Aylarth: then why not make management answerable to that? Is everything the drivers’ fault?
@Aylarth: You’re another fool who has no idea what social sustainability is or why it is important. Maybe when you’re dependent on the tax and contribution of future generations you’ll understand the damage being done to society now. Uninvested people wont care about you or yours.
I’ve done too much travelling on private bus, at times I’ve been very scared as I can tell by looking at drivers they are too tired to be working. I know they are paid so badly that they have no choice, but a tired driver is a dangerous one.
I often said to colleagues who were hell bent on buying in say navan, what will you do if there is a bus strike, mostly I was told it could not happen, so is it BE’s drivers fault that people bought in places that are dependant on transport like that? NO. its the governments, anger towards BE drivers is misdirected, Ok they could privatise, but then we back to tired drivers with the added problem of expensive fares, unwieldy routes and I would put money on it, inconvenient timetables. Im out of the country a lot atm, but I knew this stoppage was coming up, so why haven’t ppl made alternative arrangements for themselves? what about employers running busses to workplaces(as we did here last time there was a transport outage)
Bet there would be a lot of red thumbs for this comment, if there were any red thumbs! #returntheredthumbs,#transportstrikesshowhowyourgovtreallyfeelabout you.
These are ordinary working class people standing up for their rights against a tory party in ireland
@Tipp Abu: ordinary people does not earn 18€ per or even more. I’m not jealous of their money but they should really understand that their strike is putting people like me in a position where I have to pay half my monthly wages on taxis and another half on rent… so how am I supposed to live? I would like to support their cause but when I am paying the cost of their strike, somehow, I do not feel any sympathy towards them. This is not how solidarity should look like, you know?
@Aylarth: I’m sure they understand. What do you suggest they do, in the alternative?
Thank god for the private bus drivers. I’ll be switching to those busses now and I won’t be switching back. They are going to get my custom, not the pampered, spoilt buseirean workers. They’re stroppy and rude anyway for the most part.
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