Water - where do you stand?

First of all, in principle I've no problem paying for water as a utility, but not the way its being done here.

We've been paying for water for decades, however successive governments have failed to invest our taxes in a proper water supply and it has degenerated over decades, the blame here is solely at the door of politicians: after all its easier to give a tax reduction in a budget as an election sweetener rather than investing in something that can be put on the long finger.

The problem with the IW charge is that it isn't going to be ringfenced, so we've no idea of knowing if 10% or 100% of money raised will actually be used to fix the buggered system, going on experience it will be thrown into the big pot and used for tax breaks for people likely to vote for whatever party is in power at that time.

Having said that, water charges should only have been introduced when an equivalent tax was reduced or removed so as to balance it out over time.

I also have little or no confidence in some of the people associated with Irish Water: I've no problem paying 100K and more if thats the going rate for a particular professional, but the whole thing stinks of cronyism so far.

I also don't agree with free allowances depending on your income, it only encourages waste and irresponsible use.

I live in Roscommon, we have had a boil water notice for the past year, and for about 2.5 of the past 5 years. This is mostly down to septic tanks and slurry being thrown onto fields at all times of the year, never heard of anybody checking this or anybody being fined for it. Some of it is also down to a poorly maintained treatment system.

I think some of the revenue generated should be used to assist in houses rainwater harvesting but my main impression is that IW is being run so incompetently that active measures like this will never happen.

For most of the above reasons I won't be paying the charge.

- I'm opposed to my money being taken from me and given to Bond Holders., under the guise of 'Water Charges'

Water charges, USC, household charge, Income Levy, Property Tax - These are all bond holder taxes.

alastair wrote: »

That's still no explanation of why a rate increase is easier with an allowance?

I didn't say that a rate increase would be easier with the allowance, just that it would be politically easier to reduce/do away with the allowance than it would be to increase the rate.

Phoebas wrote: »

If only that were true.

Sadly the long term view only extends to their skullduggery. They know that people forget, over time. You only have to look at the level of support for FF, and they sold the country to their mates!

alastair wrote: »

As previously explained, they're all (bar water charges) taxes that contribute to our nations running costs. Those running costs are 97% to do with costs that have nothing to do with bank bailouts, and of the 3% of tax spend that does have to do with the bank bailouts, some 15% of that 3% (0.0045%) is to cover costs associated with bond holders (that we were obliged to pay, as a condition of getting the loans to keep the country running).

These taxes were introduced after the bondholder bailout. We did not have these taxes before the bondholder bailout.

Think about it logically. The Bailout cost a massive amount of money. They money has to be paid from somewhere. That somewhere is the people of Ireland.