FIANNA Fail candidate for Limerick City West in the forthcoming local elections, Geraldine Leddin, believes the operations of Irish Water are still “shrouded in secrecy” and said it’s unacceptable that households remain in the dark about the extent of the charges they will face from October.
She has criticised the Government for prioritising political gain over the welfare of households by refusing to clarify the exact amount of water charges. The Fianna Fail candidate warned that people are already reeling from the property tax and are angry at the idea of having to pay water charges as well.
“On top of this, they are very annoyed that they have no idea whatsoever what their bills will be for the provision of water. The Government’s position was meant to be set out well in advance of local elections in May,” Ms Leddin explained.
“We still have a bonus-driven Super Quango that is shrouded in secrecy and households remain completely in the dark about the bills they will begin to clock up from October,” she said.
She also claims that Fine Gael and Labour are doing their very best to dodge this controversial issue until after the local and European elections in an attempt to salvage as many votes as possible.
She said it was “completely unacceptable” that households, who need to manage their finances, are being sidelined by a Government obsessed with its own “political preservation”.
“They are putting their own political survival ahead of the welfare of taxpayers. So far, approximately €800 million of taxpayers’ money has been pumped into the establishment of Irish Water, the removal of assets from local authorities, the water metering process and the framework for charges.
“Not one cent has been spent on fixing leaks, upgrading older water systems or on improving water quality in the communities that are still suffering chronic water problems,” she concluded.
