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Updated: 12pm
SOCIALIST PARTY TD Ruth Coppinger has said that the Government’s concessions on water charges will not appease the public.
Coppinger told Today with Keelin Shanley that the new water charges package is “like Del Boy trying to sell discounted goods from the back of a truck”.
Reports this morning stated the revised cap on charges, valid until the end of 2018, will be €60 per one-adult household, and €160 for all other homes.
The Dublin West TD said that there will be “mass refusal” of of water bills and the Government will have to listen as “we’re three bills away from a General Election”.
Earlier today, Coppinger’s party colleague Joe Higgins said he believes that the public will not accept the new package, which is due to be announced today.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, Higgins said that the concessions, which will be announced at 3pm in the Dáil, are an attempt by the Government to get them “past the next General Election”.
“They are desperately casting around for something to salvage the regime of water charges,” he said.
This will not work. We have a risen people here. They want to continue to pay for their water – which they do and have done for generations through general taxation. Their measures will still be met with a huge movement of opposition.
People aren’t fools, people don’t believe the Government … When the time comes and the pressure is off. the price will rise inexorably.
Higgins said he expected a “major boycott” of the charges when bills are sent out early next year.
On the way into the Cabinet meeting this morning, Finance Minister Michael Noonan told Morning Ireland and other reporters that the Government will have to “wait and see” if the public are appeased by the latest measures.
There has been a lot of controversy, there has been a lot of things said, there has be a lot of protest and people have been quite upset with the whole process. The intention this morning is to come up with a solution and make it clear to people that we have been listening to their concerns.
Noonan added that there would be “various announcements” in relation to people who will refuse to pay the charges, but stated: “I’ll leave that to Minister Kelly.”
The Environment Minister said that the Government has spent the last number of months listening to the “genuine concerns” of the public.
Speaking on the way into Cabinet he stated:
I think this package will bring the people with us. I don’t think anything about this package will be harsh.
Tánaiste Joan Burton said that the new package has “a heavy emphasis on affordability”, referring to the rebate of €100 per household.
“In addition, if people so wish they will be able to apply for a water conservation support grant which will be paid by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Department of the Environment,” she stated.
Burton said the “critical issue” that has to be addressed is the fact that Ireland needs to invest “in a good clean water system”.
Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said that in “ten, 15 or 20 years we’ll be as proud of Irish Water as we are of the ESB or Bord na Móna”, which he described as “fine State institutions”.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Sinn Féin’s Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty reiterated that water charges are “a red line issue” for his party and would be scrapped if they came to power.
He added that the revenue lost by failing to introduce the charges could be recouped by progressive direct taxation.
Last night, a group of protesters staged a peaceful demonstration outside a Fine Gael meeting the Taoiseach was attending in Navan.
The Meath Chronicle reported that there were about 40 uniformed gardaí present, more than the number of protesters.
Originally published: 10am
Did I just read this..jasyus I did…I did need to get out more..but nobody has ever explained to me why Broccoli goes cold as soon as you cook it..I’ve never had hot Broccoli yet..
@sparky: Broccoli has a very high surface area per unit weight compared to other veg. This high surface area allows for higher rates of heat transfer to occur between the broccoli and the air. The stems of the broccoli are also a lot less dense than other vegetables too so heat transfer occurs more rapidly for that reason as well.
@sparky: always preheat your plate.
Another valuable scientific endeavour….
Thank God for religion, that’s all I can say.
Stephen Hawking must be glad he is still alive to read this. Good to know scientists have their prioritys right. Serious illnesses & research is not important if shoelaces become undone according to these scientists. This is an insult to scientists everywhere.
@Abcd: If you’d bother to actually read the article you’d see that it does have a serious side in preventing injury.
@Jack Cassady: Guess what Jack… turns out God didn’t do this either…
@Paddy Ryan: My shoelaces have not undone since i was about 6. We where taught too secure all footwear & loose clothing especially near any machinery.
@Abcd: move on to ‘é’ and the rest of the alphabet as soon as you can. Then complete your education, concentrating on logic, but not forgetting reading and comprehension. Then read this article once more. If you do not understand it differently the second time around, you are probably ineducable.
Jasus, this article had me in knots.
Double knot always works for me. Takes2 seconds longer to untie but worth it for one pair of athletic shoes with laces that untie within 10 minutes of tying the knot.
Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold.”
@Colleen McGovern: what you rabbitin’ on about, Willis?
“…unable to lift his foot off the gas…”
Enough of the Yankisms
Hahaha, yet you use an Americanism in your appeal to eschew a ‘Yankism’!
Enough with the Little Englander mentality. The world uses American English and in Ireland we use, increasingly, American spelling. You can color it whatever way you wish, but the English used in Ireland and in our neighboring island is moving toward the American standard.
Seriously
My guess is it’ll be a combination of vibration from the foot/shoe in normal thread action and the laces swinging. The result of both actions causing the knot to work itself loose.
@Paul Downes: My guess is its explained in the article.
Good on you journal. That’s a fine piece of copy and pasting from a piece of news that was reported on around the globe last week.
So, am I right in thinking a bunch of scientists have basically determined through scientific research that lases come undone because we/i don’t make a proper knot?? Out with lases in with velcro. I think we need a tribunal!
Ah lads, this was solved a long time ago. It’s to do with the direction in which you tie the knot. 3 min video on Ted Talks explains it.
Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes
http://go.ted.com/NQ2rKQ
I kid you knot!!!
Who the hell finds this kind of research ? The scouts ?
#Funds#
Jesus these lads are busy
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