The Workers’ Party have said that vested interests are promoting the agenda for the re-introduction of water charges and for eventual privatisation of domestic water services.

Cork Workers’ Party spokesman Ted Tynan said that there was clear orchestration behind recent headlines suggesting water shortages and contamination in the future, including last night’s RTÉ Television documentary and statements this week from a NUI Professor, the Chambers of Commerce and the state agency Forfás.

Mr. Tynan believes that the highlighting of water problems in future and promotion of water charges is part of a softening-up exercise for an end to Ireland’s opt-out on the EU’s Water Framework Directive which is due to run out in 2010.

“The fact is that householders in this country already pay for their water and all other local authority services through their taxes.  Any additional charge would amount to a form of double taxation and the government can expect massive opposition to these charges which already forced a previous government to abolish them”.

“If there is a problem with contamination in domestic water supplies or future water shortages then this is a regulatory and planning issue.  There is a need to make fines for polluting water supplies punitive so as to end for once and for all agricultural and industrial pollution of watercourses.  Additionally provision of reliable, clean water supplies for towns and cities is a planning matter and instead of draining our lakes and waterways, the continued growth of Dublin in particular must be curtailed.  It would appear that the Spatial Plan introduced a few years ago in a fanfare has been all but abandoned and unconstrained ribbon development is continuing at pace”, said Ted Tynan.

Issued 3rd September 2008