Water meter installers blocked by protesters

Supercell

Yesterday the water meter installers came to my estate. However they were blocked by protesters (with placards etc, i particularly liked the "Ballybrack says you can stick your meters up your arse" one) who stayed there all day even with the Gardai there too.

Just wondering how long the meter installers will keep coming or what happens next? Do they just give up and everyone in the area is penalised in future because we don't have meters?
Has anyone experienced this in their area and what was the outcome in the end?

Larbre34

Some people from outside came into my parents estate in Glenageary without being asked and chased off the contractors. That was a month ago and they havent returned for another attempt since, for whatever reason.

Personally I have no problem with that, i have ignored the system and disabled my own meter anyway as i refuse to contribute to such profligacy, but for those who do wish to be metered, i wouldnt be concerned. Their use has already been deferred to 2018/19, in favour of a pointless flat charge, and by the time the meters are employed (if ever) the hardware will probably have decayed and require replacement yet again for another X billion quid.

Supercell

I agree, the whole thing is farcical and a huge waste of money. From the looks of the people around here yesterday I can't see it ending well if the installers come back on Monday with heavies or whatever. I will not be paying any penalties to the Water board (or whatever the quango is called) because of this.

galwayjohn89

Think my streets getting done soon. Hopefully no protestors. Why they don't protest when it was being in the dail instead of now after money has been spent. What's worse it's the government cracked and reduced the charges and flat rated it, so the usefulness of the system is postponed until people cope on that clean water costs money.

Fratton Fred

We had ours done a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately there were no protesters around so ours were installed in an ordered professional manner.

it looks like the supply of rotten eggs and water bombs I saved up to throw at the protesters will go to waste.

Larbre34

Vuzuggu wrote: »

Think my streets getting done soon. Hopefully no protestors. Why they don't protest when it was being in the dail instead of now after money has been spent. What's worse it's the government cracked and reduced the charges and flat rated it, so the usefulness of the system is postponed until people cope on that clean water costs money.

No argument there, i pay enough for commercial water so i take it to be very expensive.

What i will not tolerate in a domestic context is the bankrupt exchequer p1ssing a billion quid we dont have up against the wall on meters and consultants before getting a cent from the domestic sector and then changing the funding mechanism midway through so as to render that whole seed capital redundant and wasted, just for political expediency. Irish Water is neither state, nor semi state, nor commercial, its like a frankensteins monster of all three. I wont contribute to it and i fully expect the EU to rule against it. It has been so incredibly ill-conceived you would scarcely credit it if it was presented as satire or fiction.

My 5 year old would have said make 30% of the LPT into a water fund, make up the balance with low interest borrowing, roll out the meters in parallel with a conservation education and domestic retrofit programme (like the warm homes scheme) over 5 years, then start metering and charging for consumption on a commercial footing. The troika wouldnt have contested that.