This week the European body Eurostat examined how Irish Water was funded and it was found the Government could not shovel debts on the Irish taxpayer “off balance sheet”. Off balance sheet means that these debts wouldn’t appear in our national finances. It was back door borrowing and the Government has been found out. So taxpayers are now officially on the hook for the billions borrowed to set up Irish Water.
This confirmation that Irish Water has failed the market corporation test is the latest fiasco to hit the beleaguered utility company. Since its inception, and despite the numerous controversies which it has become embroiled in, the Government has continued to throw good money after bad in a vain attempt to keep this bonus driven state funded company afloat. The Government must wake up to the mess which it has created, take responsibility and abolish this wasteful entity.
At the Kildare County Council meeting on 26th November a number of motions on water charges were debated. These included two tabled by FF, one from SF and one Independent. I proposed a Fianna Fáil led motion to “cease charging for water and instead concentrate on network investment, conservation and infrastructure upgrades” whilst also “condemning bonus culture in Irish Water and seeking a commitment that Irish Water could not be privatised”. The motion was proposed in the names of Cllrs Lawless, O’Loughlin, Ward, Miley and Ó Cearúil. A second motion in the names of Cllrs S Power, R Power, O’Rourke, Callaghan, Doyle and Fitzpatrick was also passed calling on the council to withhold payment of levies to Irish Water until they agreed to come before the council.
The long awaited protocol from Irish Water for taking in charge of estates finally issued on the 6th November. I have been campaigning for estates to be taken in charge by the council for the past two years. When an estate is taken in charge it means that the council assume responsibility for maintenance such as fixing street lights and repairing broken kerbs. If an estate is not taken in charge it can lie in limbo for years with nobody performing basic maintenance, especially with so many builders going bust in recent years. I had been working with a number of estates to get them taken over by the council and the final blocker was Irish Water which had created an obstacle from the 1st January this year on any new taking in charges.