Local councillors vote to scrap water charges as meter installations continue in Tallaght

Local councillors vote to scrap water charges as meter installations continue in Tallaght

By Mary Dennehy

MEMBERS of South Dublin County Council have this week voted in favour of ending water charges, The Echo can report.

While being suspended for nine months, the issue of water charges has not evaporated with ongoing debate leaving many homeowners confused and unsure – especially since Irish Water is back in estates fitting water meters.

Irish Water Carrigmore

The Echo recently received calls from people living in Carrigmore and De Selby who are “baffled” by the appearance of Irish Water in their estates, with one resident claiming that the company’s arrival goes against everything that the public is being told.

Water charges were also discussed in council chambers this week when Tallaght South People Before Profit councillor Nicky Coules tabled a motion, which asked the council to call on the Taoiseach to “accede to the will of the people and bring a definitive end to water charges”.

Speaking to The Echo, after the motion was carried by majority vote, Cllr Coules said: “This motion began life in a different form.

“We assumed, possibly naively, that with a majority of deputies returned to the new Dáil being opposed in some form or other to water charges that democracy would prevail and the charges would be dropped immediately.

“It was in this light that we intended to call on the council to congratulate our people on achieving a notable victory.”
He added: “The potency of the notion of turning water into a commodity has not gone away.”

Commenting on recent figures released by Irish Water – that show a 45 per cent reduction in water bills paid in April and May – Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy (Anti Austerity Alliance) said: “According to these figures, 73 per cent of people have decided to boycott the latest bill.

“This is a massive rejection of the charges, and people sending a clear message to the government and Simon Coveney that they want to see them scrapped.

“Over the last 18 months we have said that there were many people who only paid because they felt bullied or intimidated into it by the government and Irish Water’s threats. Now that the fear is gone, this level of non-payment reflects how people really feel on the issue.

“The government should now accept defeat on the water charges.

“They should scrap the sham Commission which they have set up and instead let the Dáil decide on the future of water charges.”

When contacted by The Echo, a spokeswoman for Irish Water said that meter installations were recently carried out in the Tallaght area on properties where meters were not previously in place.

She added: “Meters are essential for finding and fixing leaks and these installations form part of implementing Phase 1 of the National Metering Programme whereby water meters are being installed outside domestic residences on publicly-accessible land and as legislated under the Water Services Acts.

“Under this phase of the programme meters are being installed where possible at the location of the existing stop valve.

“Nationally, over 840,000 meters have now been installed, the current metering programme is ahead of schedule and is currently planned to be completed at the end of 2016 by which time approximately 90 per cent of domestic water meters will be installed.

“Leakage of water is a serious problem on a national scale and water meters are essential in finding and fixing leaks.
“Lost water is estimated nationally at approximately 49 per cent of the water produced for supply, well above international norms.”

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