{"id":21290,"date":"2014-11-05T17:08:03","date_gmt":"2014-11-05T16:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/?p=21290"},"modified":"2014-11-05T17:08:03","modified_gmt":"2014-11-05T16:08:03","slug":"irish-water-public-or-private","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/irish-water-public-or-private\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Water: Public or Private?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irish Minister for the Environment Alan Keely might hold a referendum to make sure that Irish water stays in public ownership.\u00a0 The Irish government is mired in conroversy over the furute ownership of Irish water.<\/p>\n

Water is plentiful in Ireland, but the Irish use about as much water as Americans do. A lot.\u00a0 102 gallons per person each year.\u00a0 Pipes have to be repaired.\u00a0 Someone has to pay.\u00a0 The people are baulking.\u00a0 In difficult economic times in the country, free water has become a campaign cry.\u00a0 The International Monetary Fund is insisting that the problem be taken care of iif Ireland is to receive funds.<\/p>\n

Primary responsibility for that transformation falls to Irish Water, a new enterprise that consolidates the water services provided by 34 local authorities. Headquartered in Dublin, but with eight regional offices, Irish Water will work to fill a backlog of investment needs \u2013 including leak repair \u2013 that has resulted from more than a century of underinvestment in water services.<\/p>\n

The House voted to accept a Fianna F\u00e1il motion which stated: \u201cThat Seanad \u00c9ireann requests the Government to initiate legislation to provide for a constitutional referendum to enshrine the ownership of Irish Water to the Irish people in perpetuity.\u201d\u00a0 The Seanad was ladjourned for 15 minutes after Opposition Senators protested that they did not have enough time to debate water charges.<\/p>\n

When Cathaoirleach Paddy Burke called on Mr Kelly to respond to the debate, Independent Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames complained that she did not get an opportunity to speak.\u00a0 Fianna F\u00e1il Seantor Brian \u00d3 Domhnaill said the Government did not want to hear what the people were saying.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile in the D\u00e1il Mr Kenny said he agreed with T\u00e1naiste Joan Burton that water charges should be affordable and fair.<\/p>\n

\"Free<\/a><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Irish Minister for the Environment Alan Keely might hold a referendum to make sure that Irish water stays in public ownership.\u00a0 The Irish government is mired in conroversy over the furute ownership of Irish water. Water is plentiful in Ireland, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infrastructure"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t