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Should we pay for water ?

  • 25-01-2010 04:31PM
    #1
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭


    Thought I would post this poll based on this article (my vote is NO we should not have to pay for it) ;

    Water charges could raise €1bn for Govt

    Link

    Household water charges are expected to raise €1bn for the Government, Environment Minister John Gormley revealed today.

    The Green leader said plans to introduce bills and install meters in 1.1 million homes will be brought to Government in a few weeks.

    It is hoped the roll-out will begin next year to meet the full cost of providing treated clean drinking water to every home.

    The minister said: “I would hope that it raises that amount of money.”

    Some €300m has already been earmarked to fix the country’s creaking water supplies over the next three years.

    Mr Gormley said the record repair bill will see burst pipes and old mains systems replaced as some regions are losing about half of water supplies through leaks.

    “This is completely unacceptable and must be urgently addressed,” he said.

    Mr Gormley also hit out at the decision to scrap water charges in 1997.

    “I believe that we have missed a huge opportunity over the years because the decision of previous governments to get rid of water charge’s was nonsensical and pretty spineless,” he said.

    The minister said water metering was essential to create a fair system which would bring in significant savings.

    Figures from the Department of the Environment quoted a report for the UK government which found average savings of 16% per household after meters were installation.

    Parts of Dublin and Clare are still without normal supplies after the big freeze damaged ageing water pipes.

    “We are playing a huge game of catch-up with our water infrastructure, following decades of under-investment,” Mr Gormley said.

    It is understood the €300m repair fund is already in the Department of Environment budget but has been reallocated from other areas to ease pressure on the water supply network.

    “The difficulties experienced by thousands of householders across the country show clearly that there are still huge issues with our water infrastructure and consumption of water that need to be addressed,” the minister said.

    “Our approach to drinking water in Ireland has been unsustainable, and we must change that approach, from the investment and management of our network to how we as households value the resource that comes out of our tap.”

    Should we have to pay for water supply ? 368 votes

    Yes - we should pay for meters installation and supply
    0% 0 votes
    No - we should not have to pay for meters or for supply
    40% 149 votes
    'The world does not revolve around Dublin'
    59% 219 votes


«134567…10

Comments

  • #2
    Max Power1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,272 ✭✭✭✭Max Power1


    Morlar wrote: »
    Thought I would post this poll based on this article (my vote is NO we should not have to pay for it) ;

    Water charges could raise €1bn for Govt

    Link

    Household water charges are expected to raise €1bn for the Government, Environment Minister John Gormley revealed today.

    The Green leader said plans to introduce bills and install meters in 1.1 million homes will be brought to Government in a few weeks.

    It is hoped the roll-out will begin next year to meet the full cost of providing treated clean drinking water to every home.

    The minister said: “I would hope that it raises that amount of money.”

    Some €300m has already been earmarked to fix the country’s creaking water supplies over the next three years.

    Mr Gormley said the record repair bill will see burst pipes and old mains systems replaced as some regions are losing about half of water supplies through leaks.

    “This is completely unacceptable and must be urgently addressed,” he said.

    Mr Gormley also hit out at the decision to scrap water charges in 1997.

    “I believe that we have missed a huge opportunity over the years because the decision of previous governments to get rid of water charge’s was nonsensical and pretty spineless,” he said.

    The minister said water metering was essential to create a fair system which would bring in significant savings.

    Figures from the Department of the Environment quoted a report for the UK government which found average savings of 16% per household after meters were installation.

    Parts of Dublin and Clare are still without normal supplies after the big freeze damaged ageing water pipes.

    “We are playing a huge game of catch-up with our water infrastructure, following decades of under-investment,” Mr Gormley said.

    It is understood the €300m repair fund is already in the Department of Environment budget but has been reallocated from other areas to ease pressure on the water supply network.

    “The difficulties experienced by thousands of householders across the country show clearly that there are still huge issues with our water infrastructure and consumption of water that need to be addressed,” the minister said.

    “Our approach to drinking water in Ireland has been unsustainable, and we must change that approach, from the investment and management of our network to how we as households value the resource that comes out of our tap.”

    tl:dr

    however going by the thread title my vote is NO.


  • #3
    genericguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,831 ✭✭✭genericguy


    i think we should, but i'd rather spend the money on getting john gormley beaten to death with a baby seal.


  • #4
    Mister Tickle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭Mister Tickle


    would you pay for a milkshake from Mcdonalds if 45% of the milk shake was leaking out from the bottom of the cup?? No....but the council want you should pay for water even after admitting that 45% of the water leaks out through their underground pipework. laughable really. paying for water in this country.


  • #5
    dsmythy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,560 ✭✭✭✭dsmythy


    Mister Tickle wrote: »
    would you pay for a milkshake from Mcdonalds if 45% of the milk shake was leaking out from the bottom of the cup?? No....but the council want you should pay for water even after admitting that 45% of the water leaks out through their underground pipework. laughable really. paying for water in this country.

    The money raised would help fix this problem.


  • #6
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    Environment Minister John Gormley revealed today

    Stopped reading here.
    Please let me know if the revelation was that he is in fact Mr. burns stunt double.


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  • #7
    sorrywhat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭sorrywhat


    Morlar wrote: »

    It is hoped the roll-out will begin next year to meet the full cost of providing treated clean drinking water to every home..”

    I voted No based on my water supply at the moment.

    But if the above quoted sentence happened I would agree to pay a small fee. But only if it was clean drinkable water.

    The water I receive at the moment does not taste nice so therefore I would not pay for it. Its laughable.


  • #8
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,334 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    I think so


    Think about all the water that gets purified to get flushed down the toilet! All new houses should be givin a grant to install a rain water system for things that do not need purified water (toilet, wahing machine, showers (maybe?) )
    Mister Tickle wrote: »
    would you pay for a milkshake from Mcdonalds if 45% of the milk shake was leaking out from the bottom of the cup?? No....but the council want you should pay for water even after admitting that 45% of the water leaks out through their underground pipework. laughable really. paying for water in this country.


    If the meter was at your house (ala the ESB meter) it would not matter how much gets leaked out on the way.


  • #9
    BluesBerry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,221 ✭✭✭BluesBerry


    No we shouldnt the government screw us enough through stelth taxes :mad:give the public a break and leave our free water alone ffs


  • #10
    egan2020
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 567 ✭✭✭egan2020


    Have any figures/info been released as to the amount of water that can be used before you have to pay charges?


  • #11
    Captain_Generic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,408 ✭✭✭Captain_Generic


    Mister Tickle wrote: »
    would you pay for a milkshake from Mcdonalds if 45% of the milk shake was leaking out from the bottom of the cup??

    Really depends on the flavor, and 45% of something can't currently be leaking out of it otherwise it would be more than 45%, unless more milkshake is being poured in as it leaks............mmm milkshake


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  • #12
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    If I thought it would do any good I might think it was a good idea but our government have shown they've no concept of quality or value for money and that money will end up wasting away quicker than Irish tap water on it's way to the customer.

    I'm not inclined to help the government in any shaper or form until they show their up to the job which would take a massive overhaul of the way our country is run.


  • #13
    jay-me
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,002 ✭✭✭jay-me


    It will be the air next!!!!


  • #14
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    BluesBerry wrote: »
    No we shouldnt the government screw us enough through stelth taxes :mad:give the public a break and leave our free water alone ffs

    I agree.

    Granted social welfare recipients will probably not pay for meters but I would like them to clarify where the money for the costs of meter installation and upkeep is going to come from. Also how much this is expected to be per flat/home/caravan/etc. There are a lot of properties, period houses and so on where installing water meters onsite is not going to be straightforward.

    I believe landlords are probably going to be screwed to the wall to have to pay to install all those water meters in all those flats. As it would be unfair to burden a renting tenant to pay for a property's water metering system that is to the landlords ultimate benefit.

    I also think it's extremely fortuitous that this is coming in the midst of council water cuts and council water rationing.

    Also I would like to see estimates of the average yearly cost & a guarantee that every penny paid goes only to water supply costs. Another thing is what kind of assurances are there that the prices will not simply creep up and up and up and up and up year on year like every f***ing thing else in this country.


  • #15
    jay-me
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,002 ✭✭✭jay-me


    Also what will happen if you don't pay your water bill?? Cut off and left to die? I think they should buy back the toll bridge and make some money from that!

    Not to mention when you go out for a meal and you don't want to pay 4.50 for a bottle of water and they are charging 2.50 for tap water:eek:


  • #16
    ctrl-alt-delete
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,950 ✭✭✭✭ctrl-alt-delete


    Well we already pay for water with our taxes, as that is the money used to pay for the service.

    So i'd be against direct water charges, as it will raise €1 billion as it says on the tin, it will not save any money.


  • #17
    CianRyan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,726 ✭✭✭✭CianRyan


    It comes from the fucking sky, fúck the fúck off!!


  • #18
    jhegarty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,441 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    They could raise €20 billion by taxing air.

    All our problems are solved.


  • #19
    Vegeta
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,393 ✭✭✭✭Vegeta


    We already pay for water through taxes

    Lower my tax rate and I'll pay by usage no problemo.

    I don't like paying for things twice.


  • #20
    toiletduck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭toiletduck


    dsmythy wrote: »
    The money raised would help fix this problem.

    Sure it will...


  • #21
    bonerm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,595 ✭✭✭bonerm


    Gormley should get cancer quick before he risks becoming even more unpopular.


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  • #22
    redout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,435 ✭✭✭✭redout


    Plenty of water if the Corpo get the bloody delivery system fixed.

    Read in the Herald that only 40% of water actually reaches us with the other 60% being lost seemingly!


  • #23
    gent9662
    Closed Accounts Posts: 697 ✭✭✭gent9662


    If the money collected went directly to improving the quality of the drinking water I would say yes. However, do we not pay for it already in through our tax?


  • #24
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,727 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    You know, theres places in Africa where they'd gladly pay for water.


  • #25
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,166 ✭✭✭enda1


    How about the option that we could pay for the supply but not for the installation?


  • #26
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    Overheal wrote: »
    You know, theres places in Africa where they'd gladly pay for water.

    Setting up all those direct debits would be a major pain though :)

    Probably better to keep this thread to Ireland instead of africa.


  • #27
    Mister Tickle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭Mister Tickle


    dsmythy wrote: »
    The money raised would help fix this problem.

    Fix the problem and then i'll consider paying water rates. this problem exists because the council havn't bothered to maintain the water supply system throughout the country. not because money was never allocated to water maintenance...councils have had plenty of money to maintain the system. they didn't do the work...and what now you want to hand them an open cheque book to solve the problem?

    yeah....


  • #28
    Speculator
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 300 ✭✭Speculator


    Drinkable water will become one of the most expensive commodities in the future.

    Most countries already charge for their water, so yes, I think we should.


  • #29
    Idbatterim
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,554 ✭✭✭✭Idbatterim


    Will this money be ringfenced for water and waster water infrastrucuture or just another tax?! Every other European Country pays for their water... Billions of euro here are squandered every year, on PS pay, welfare etc! I think we should trim all the fat before adding more taxes!


  • #30
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    After I started this thread I came across this one which I wish I had read before creating the poll :

    http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=64153122&postcount=1


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  • #31
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,727 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Morlar wrote: »
    Setting up all those direct debits would be a major pain though :)

    Probably better to keep this thread to Ireland instead of africa.
    The World doesnt revolve around Dublin, Morlar


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