***ALL THINGS IRISH WATER/WATER CHARGE RELATED POST HERE***

dxhound2005

bigboss1986 wrote: »

97 houses in my estate and only I HAVE NOT RECEIVED APPLICATION PACK Im chosen one to have FREE WATER

100 houses in my estate and I have no idea what they get in their post. Anyway Irish Water would like to hear from you.

Irish Water are currently sending an application pack to every home in Ireland. If you have not received your application pack by 6 October 2014, please contact Irish Water on 1890 448 448.

bigboss1986

dxhound2005 wrote: »

100 houses in my estate and I have no idea what they get in their post. Anyway Irish Water would like to hear from you.

Irish Water are currently sending an application pack to every home in Ireland. If you have not received your application pack by 6 October 2014, please contact Irish Water on 1890 448 448.

Thanks I read that on their website but I have better things to do than calling them...:rolleyes:

MadYaker

bigboss1986 wrote: »

Thanks I read that on their website but I have better things to do than calling them...:rolleyes:

You'll end up paying more.

Phoebas

bigboss1986 wrote: »

Thanks I read that on their website but I have better things to do than calling them...:rolleyes:

Like posting on an internet forum about not calling them.

dxhound2005

bigboss1986 wrote: »

Thanks I read that on their website but I have better things to do than calling them...:rolleyes:

I doubt that. How could you top the fun you had finding out who got the IW packs?

Cantona's Collars

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

But giving someone your pps doesn't give them access to that info. All they have is what you give them.

Look what happened when PPS numbers end up in the wrong hands.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/data-protection-commissioner-welcomes-court-fines-30642894.html

Phoebas

zerks wrote: »

Look what happened when PPS numbers end up in the wrong hands.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/data-protection-commissioner-welcomes-court-fines-30642894.html

The Data Protection Commissioner investigated and prosecuted. And those responsible for data protection offences were fined.

But nothing at all to do with Irish Water.

jgarry28

dxhound2005 wrote: »

100 houses in my estate and I have no idea what they get in their post. Anyway Irish Water would like to hear from you.

Irish Water are currently sending an application pack to every home in Ireland. If you have not received your application pack by 6 October 2014, please contact Irish Water on 1890 448 448.

I don't see that on their site. Anyhow I called them yesterday as I too have not had a meter installed nor received an application pack. The application packs department said not to worry about it they are still sending packs out and maybe call back next week if I didnt have a pack by then; the metering department reckoned that I should have had a pack by now and wasnt sure why I havent received it. I asked him why everyone on the street apart from me had been metered despite my meter being totally accessible (on the public path). He said he didnt know but they will meter me at some stage (when he didnt know). I actually want a meter so I dont end up paying an estimated figure. So dont have a clue what to do now. Free water I suppose! Or maybe no water?!

Banjo String

More positive PR...

A FORMER minister who helped establish Irish Water has criticised the company’s approach to introducing water charges, describing it as “an unmitigated disaster”.

Ex-junior environment minister Fergus O’Dowd, who developed the legislation which set up the utility, said it had “abjectly failed” in selling its message to consumers.

In an unprecedented attack from a Government TD, Mr O’Dowd said: “Irish Water has come across as arrogant and uncaring, demanding money and demanding PPS numbers without properly explaining why all of this is necessary.”

He also spoke of his fears that it was becoming “another cosseted quango with a bonus culture” and his belief that disadvantaged groups are faced with having to pay more for water than they should.

The criticism couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Government as it faces into two by-elections on Friday.

Water charges are proving to be a key election issue in Dublin South West, while water quality is a huge cause of concern in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency, where 21,000 people are living with boil water notices.


Asked what actions he had taken over his concerns, Mr O'Dowd said he had raised them with department officials and the then environment minister, Phil Hogan, who is now the designate EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr O'Dowd's involvement with the utility company ended after he steered the legislation setting it up through the Oireachtas. Ministerial responsibility was taken by Mr Hogan at that point.

He said he had asked Mr Hogan for more responsibility, but this was not given to him.

Mr O'Dowd said the new company had been its own worst enemy and would not be facing as much resistance if it had adopted a better communications strategy.

"I warned the department at a high level meeting that it was going to be an unmitigated disaster if there was not enough engagement with the public and that has proven to be the case," he said.

The former minister refused to apportion individual blame for the shortcomings he identified.

"This is not about personalities," he told the Irish Independent. "It is about bringing about real change in Irish Water. This organisation has to change its ways right now and listen to the people."

Mr O'Dowd said people felt "angry and intimidated" after receiving their sign up packs in the post, requesting copies of PPS numbers.

He said it was clear there was "an intense dislike of the whole process".

An information campaign focusing on the positives the company can bring in terms of water conservation and the environment would have been much preferable to the approach it has adopted, he said.

The former minister called for the introduction of new board members with a consumer advocacy background.

He said there should be a widening of exemptions as unemployed people were telling him they simply could not afford the charges.

Mr O'Dowd also said he only became aware that staff at the company would be entitled to bonuses when it was disclosed at an Oireachtas committee in January. He said he believed the practice should be scrapped.

Irish Water managing director John Tierney disclosed at the time that staff were in line for performance related bonus payments averaging €7,000 under a model it adopted from its parent company Bord Gais.

It is understood no bonuses have been paid to date.

However, the company would find it difficult to deny staff bonuses they were contractually entitled to.

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/minister-who-set-up-irish-water-now-brands-it-a-disaster-30644275.html

Fergus was always too honest, always ripped to shreds on VB.

gladrags

jgarry28 wrote: »

I don't see that on their site. Anyhow I called them yesterday as I too have not had a meter installed nor received an application pack. The application packs department said not to worry about it they are still sending packs out and maybe call back next week if I didnt have a pack by then; the metering department reckoned that I should have had a pack by now and wasnt sure why I havent received it. I asked him why everyone on the street apart from me had been metered despite my meter being totally accessible (on the public path). He said he didnt know but they will meter me at some stage (when he didnt know). I actually want a meter so I dont end up paying an estimated figure. So dont have a clue what to do now. Free water I suppose! Or maybe no water?!

I don't know too many people who would complain if they were in your shoes.

Cantona's Collars

Phoebas wrote: »

The Data Protection Commissioner investigated and prosecuted. And those responsible for data protection offences were fined.

But nothing at all to do with Irish Water.

The same fella isn't too happy with IW not giving the answers he wants from them about their use of PPS numbers.

Satriale

When a minister who helped set it up is calling it an abject failure, its only a matter of time.

Hijpo

Satriale wrote: »

When a minister who helped set it up is calling it an abject failure, its only a matter of time.

The fact they had bonus structures for employees of IW in place before they had an idea of what the charges were tells us what the priorities are.

Banjo String

Satriale wrote: »

When a minister who helped set it up is calling it an abject failure, its only a matter of time.

One comment from the article stood out.

FG hit the self destruct button once again

Exactly

Curly Judge

Hijpo wrote: »

The fact they had bonus structures for employees of IW in place before they had an idea of what the charges were tells us what the priorities are.

How can you possibly justify awarding a bonus across the board to a grossly overmanned organisation.
Will the people who are surplus to requirements get a bonus...and how will they earn it?
By the way, I support water charges as I have been paying through the nose for my water supply since 1972.

Banjo String

Curly Judge wrote: »

How can you possibly justify awarding a bonus across the board to a grossly overmanned organisation.
Will the people who are surplus to requirements get a bonus...and how will they earn it?
By the way, I support water charges as I have been paying through the nose for my water supply since 1972.

News just in....

Apparently, they're 'not bonuses'.

Irish Water has become embroiled in a new controversy after bizarrely claiming its staffare not going to be paid bonuses – just “performance related awards”.

The comments come in the wake of ex-junior environment minister Fergus O’Dowd’s criticism the company had “abjectly failed” in selling its message to consumers.

Mr O’Dowd spoke of his fears that it was becoming “another cosseted quango with a bonus culture” and his belief that disadvantaged groups are faced with having to pay more for water than they should.

In an unprecedented attack from a Government TD, Mr O’Dowd said: “Irish Water has come across as arrogant and uncaring, demanding money and demanding PPS numbers without properly explaining why all of this is necessary.”

One third of Irish Water staff are set to receive bonuses of 14pc or 15pc of salary.

Official figures provided by Irish Water outline the generous bonuses and salaries to be paid to its staff, which show that:

* 29 staff, including Managing Director John Tierney, are on salaries of over €100,000.

* 165 staff will qualify for bonuses of up to 6.5pc of their salary, while some 65 staff are set be paid an extra 14pc.

But Irish Water spokeswoman Elizabeth Arnett repeatedly claimed these were not ‘bonuses’.

“This is a performance related award scheme that has been approved by Government,” she said.

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/irish-water-in-hot-water-over-bizarre-claim-that-staff-bonuses-are-not-bonuses-30645498.html

Things are taking a new turn.

seamus

Banjo String wrote: »

News just in....

Apparently, they're 'not bonuses'.

Hah!

That'll be the civil service jargon for you. Within the public sector, "bonuses" are things you're entitled to, whereas a performance-related award is not.

In the real world, all bonuses are performance related (unless you're an executive, of course).

This is probably why they're trying to claim that they're not bonuses, when they clearly are.

I actually have no issue with bonuses at IW. Bonuses are how you retain talented staff.

hiFidelity

seamus wrote: »

Hah!



I actually have no issue with bonuses at IW. Bonuses are how you retain talented staff.

What about the person that presided over the Poolbeg debacle, where €80 - €100 million of our money was at stake, with no adequate monitoring of budgets, and no minutes of board meetings? Talent did I hear you say?

seamus

hiFidelity wrote: »

What about the person that presided over the Poolbeg debacle, where €80 - €100 million of our money was at stake, with no adequate monitoring of budgets, and no minutes of board meetings? Talent did I hear you say?

What's that got to do with Irish Water?

Daith

seamus wrote: »

What's that got to do with Irish Water?

He now manages Irish Water.....

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/now-irish-water-chief-faces-pac-over-96m-poolbeg-bill-29933890.html

RobbingBandit

My landlord informed me earlier today he will be upping the rent by €5 a week to cover the water charge, I am in a house split into I think 8 bedsits.

Daith

RobbingBandit wrote: »

My landlord informed me earlier today he will be upping the rent by €5 a week to cover the water charge, I am in a house split into I think 8 bedsits.

Huh? Are you living by yourself? Are you renting a place or renting a room?

The most a single person should be paying is €176

Cantona's Collars

RobbingBandit wrote: »

My landlord informed me earlier today he will be upping the rent by €5 a week to cover the water charge, I am in a house split into I think 8 bedsits.

You should give him your username,that's what he is - a robbing bandit. 8 bedsits would rake him in over €2k a year.

Larbre34

Firefox11 wrote: »

Property Tax....Water Tax.....No Difference really.

I'm blue in the bloody face saying this:

The Household Charge / LPT were given to the Revenue Commissioners to enforce. A persons tax compliance depended on having paid these taxes. People need to be tax compliant for very many reasons.

The Water Charges have NOTHING to do with Revenue. They are a commercial charge (you can argue the semantics of a contract existing or not till the cows come home). Your tax compliance DOES NOT depend on having paid them. In theory they could affect your credit record.

Property Tax........Water Tax.........EVERY DIFFERENCE REALLY.

RobbingBandit

Daith wrote: »

Huh? Are you living by yourself? Are you renting a place or renting a room?

The most a single person should be paying is €176

Bedsit being the optimum word here, I am in a house that is split into either 7 or 8 bedsits, I have my own front door to the bedsit but there is a communal front door to the house, there is not an assigned number to the bedsit just the house number, a few weeks ago only one pack arrived from Irish Water which the landlord took, to my knowledge this means the house will be treat as one address rather than either 7 or 8 so the landlord is charging all of us €5 a week for the water but will only have one bill in January, I am open to correction on this.

Daith

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Bedsit being the optimum word here, I am in a house that is split into either 7 or 8 bedsits, I have my own front door to the bedsit but there is a communal front door to the house, there is not an assigned number to the bedsit just the house number, a few weeks ago only one pack arrived from Irish Water which the landlord took, to my knowledge this means the house will be treat as one address rather than either 7 or 8 so the landlord is charging all of us €5 a week for the water but will only have one bill in January, I am open to correction on this.

So you're are going to be paying an extra €260 a year for water? That's not right. On an assessed charge with 8 people you'll still should be paying less than €120 for the year each.

Something fishy going on here.

Satriale

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Bedsit being the optimum word here, I am in a house that is split into either 7 or 8 bedsits, I have my own front door to the bedsit but there is a communal front door to the house, there is not an assigned number to the bedsit just the house number, a few weeks ago only one pack arrived from Irish Water which the landlord took, to my knowledge this means the house will be treat as one address rather than either 7 or 8 so the landlord is charging all of us €5 a week for the water but will only have one bill in January, I am open to correction on this.

Might be worth checking this situation with the energy regulator, he may need to be licenced to profit from the sale of water.*


*through the public system

gladrags

Satriale wrote: »

Might be worth checking this situation with the energy regulator, he may need to be licenced to profit from the sale of water.

He also may not be registered.

RobbingBandit

I think he just pulled this figure from thin air too, thanks for the answers I think I'll investigate further before I go reporting him.

chasm

RobbingBandit wrote: »

I think he just pulled this figure from thin air too, thanks for the answers I think I'll investigate further before I go reporting him.

He sounds like a landlord i had many years ago!
Just did some quick sums from the IW charges page and it works out at €2.14 per week if there are 8 adults in the household.(That's just going by what you said, i'm not saying he's allowed to do it though )