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Updated 1.30pm
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has said people should continue to pay their water bills, despite indications that the charges will be up for discussion as politicians work to form a government.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night, Agriculture and Defence Minister Simon Coveney had said Fine Gael would be “willing to talk about water”.
However, this afternoon Coveney seemed to backtrack, saying that scrapping water charges would be a “big mistake”.
Fianna Fáil has made clear that it will push for charges to be scrapped, management of water supply to be returned to local authorities, and for Irish Water to be downsized into a national oversight body modelled on the National Roads Authority.
Kenny told reporters today that Coveney was correct in that his party would be willing to listen to anyone who might have ideas on forming a stable government.
However, he said he believed it would be “a seriously costly and seriously historic mistake to move away from having a single national utility”. He said:
It’s a fundamental issue for Fine Gael here that you have a single national utility for water and that you have a fair and affordable contribution.
When asked whether people should continue to pay their bills, he said: “Yes, they should pay their bills”.
Last night, Coveney said water is clearly “a big issue for people”.
“We’re talking about trying to reflect what people want in Ireland. Some people agree with water charges, other people don’t,” he said.
“We need to take on board, within reason, what (other parties) are looking for.”
But speaking to RTÉ’s News at One this afternoon, Coveney said “to reverse and to abolish that system now would be a big mistake”.
We believe that a single utility and a fair charging system is the right approach to water in Ireland, that is the way the vast majority of countries in the world do it.
He said that people should continue to pay their water bills and that he will continue to do so.
That view was echoed by Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary who, on the same programme, said he would continue to pay water bills. But Calleary added that the vast majority of TDs in the 32nd Dáil now have a mandate to abolish water charges.
Reiterating his party’s stated position during the campaign, the Fianna Fáil TD said “we were very clear during the campaign that we would abolish Irish Water, that we would suspend water charges for five years, we were clear during the campaign also that we would not give refunds”.
‘Radical overhaul needed’
This afternoon, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan TD said that a radical overhaul of Irish water is needed, but it should be retained in a reduced form.
“Conservation, investment, and fairness should be at the heart of our water services,” he said. “Public confidence in Irish Water is very badly damaged, and the outgoing government needs to take responsibility for that.”
He added that “it is clear that the Government’s plan to fund water investment through charges for use will not work”.
We’re proposing the retention and overhaul of Irish Water – reducing the utilities role to overseeing and directing investment, like the National Roads Authority. The new Irish Water would be tasked with managing water infrastructure on a regional basis, based around river catchment areas, in conjunction with local authorities.
“Nobody should have to pay for every day, normal use, but we do need an incentive to conserve water,” added Ryan.
A nominal charge should apply to consistent waste of water, above that generous allowance. Once that conservation mechanism is there – funding for investment can be provided via joint EU/Central exchequer funding, through the EIB and Juncker’s Investment Plan.
- with reporting by Hugh O’Connell and Michelle Hennessy
Maybe stop worrying about their human rights and ban visits and block phone signals,add 5 years for every time a phone is found in thier cells
Death squads, we need death squads.
How much would that additional sentence cost the tax payer Ciaran and over crowd the prisons so that people with many convictions for minor crimes would continue to walk from court with a slap on the wrist as there’s no space for them in prison
There is technology to ban mobile phone signals and they should visiting from those with criminal convictions. I’d imagine that would hamper gangs massively
Wasn’t that tech to block mobile signals supposed to have been rolled out 2 years ago or is it my imagination? No doubt claimed as another ‘achievement’ in government by the coalition, that actually never happened!
Actually touted last year
Just like the US only over here the gangs don’t ever do hard time
Regulate the drugs market and they will feel it in the pocket.
For Jasus sake will you go away out of that with your auld common sense.
Solitary or wings/areas just for members of infidelity gangs. This would provide security for weaker prisoners, prevent gang members attacking one another (and remember when that happens prison officers have to go in) there is a very good chance that gang members would attack their own members which isn’t a bad thing either. Finally keep them banged up in cells and only allow out for one hour a day, food brought to cells and eaten in their if it’s gone cold by time trolly gets to them tough. Slightest infringement of prison regs loss of privileges eg no TV or radio, no sweets, chocolate, cigs, tobacco, tea, coffee except when served at mealtimes. Solitary exercise. In short incentive s to behave
Exactly this isn’t new news, Most on phones and these guys are safer in jail. Building up a fortune to hit the sun when they get out.
If you are in jail for crimes that infringe on the human rights of others then part of the punishment should be an infringement of your own rights. I don’t mean torture or anything extreme but as it stands you can’t breath on these criminals without fear of violating their rights.
Build prisons in the arse of nowhere, should stop drugs and phones getting in
Reopen Spike Island.
Tell us something new!
I think those gangs in jail watched the movie goodfellas to many times
And this is news? The dogs on the street are even aware of this and only short of building a proper and purpose built prison will it end, patching up Victorian institutions is pointless.
Reap what you sow. Years of appeasement and a policy of keeping them happy to avoid trouble. This country is too soft.
Solitary or wings/areas just for members of infidelity gangs. This would provide security for weaker prisoners, prevent gang members attacking one another (and remember when that happens prison officers have to go in) there is a very good chance that gang members would attack their own members which isn’t a bad thing either. Finally keep them banged up in cells and only allow out for one hour a day, food brought to cells and eaten in their if it’s gone cold by time trolly gets to them tough. Slightest infringement of prison regs loss of privileges eg no TV or radio, no sweets, chocolate, cigs, tobacco, tea, coffee except when served at mealtimes. Solitary exercise. In short incentive s to behave
The problem here is Prison staff are afraid of the prisoners instead of the other way around so they close their eyes to a lot of the activities. When a prisoner leaves Jail he should be so terrified of the place that he will never reoffend but it’s like a holiday home for these guys .The wardens need to be retrained for the job and if they can’t hack it send them packing .
Donal. On the contrary the vast majority of Prison Officers have no fear of inmates. It is the way the system is currently designed that is the problem. Officers can only do so much where the system is out of balance in favour of the inmate. It suits nobody if the system is out of balance in either direction. What has been lost over the decades is that one is sent to Prison as punishment and as such the loss of many rights and privileges enjoyed by those on the outside would have been standard. The Prison System itself is not solely at fault for this but the entire Judcial system. A prime example of this is the Prisoner Complaints system. An inmate can make a complaint of serious misconduct against any Officer without fear of any meaningful punishment if that complaint is found to be false and malicious. Another (which may seem small and insignificant to many) is the inmates right to wear there own clothes. For inmates this is huge. For them wearing the latest designer fashions is a way for them to show off to one another and provide them with a sense of individuality. Decades ago Prison Uniform was standard for all inmates irregardless of their status. Every inmate had the same stuff in their cell in the same quantity and quality as everyone else. Today that has all changed. In the drive towards inmates welfare and rights, discipline, order and conformity has been left sorely lagging behind. So for the system to work effectively that balance needs to returned.
Mick you hit the nail on the head thank you for your comment that makes more sense ,the balance seems to be with the criminal. The prison uniform should be highlighted more but of course the government will have to spend money and we know that won’t happen.
As a quote from The Wire states,
“If you can’t win the war against drugs in a prison, what chance do you have of doing it on the streets. ”
Slightly unrelated but it still speaks volumes.
Lots of space in The Curragh
Time to start contemplating privitizing the prisons. More spaces would lead to more time being served. Then sort out the crap sentences.
Unknown. Private Prisons have proved to be an utter disaster for staff, inmates and taxpayers where they have been tried. Ever wonder why the majority of countries in the world don’t use them?
There’s a man that votes fine gael, up enda
Explains their mobiles so? lol.
have your say