THE regional president for St Vincent de Paul in the Mid West is urging the government to reconsider the proposed water charges of €4.88 per 1000 litres due to fears that it will push already struggling families over the edge.
The St Vincent de Paul (SVP) organisation says the charge – one of the highest in Europe – will have serious implications for low income families.
Michael Murphy, of SVP Mid West told the Limerick Post: “What we’re beginning to see is people in lower paid employment who are really struggling and who don’t get any benefits, and yet their income might only be marginally different to people who are on social welfare.
“We’ve had extra charges such as the property tax and now we’re following this with the water rates, and these people will have to pay all these charges. They are in employment so there’s no way of avoiding it.”
Mr Murphy remarked that the added burden on low income households “doesn’t do anything to encourage people to be in the workforce and to pay their way”.
“There are people who are just about keeping their heads above water and they are being hit with more charges. This needs to be looked at again, because it’s being brought in in a hasty manner at the moment,” he added.
The SVP is now calling on the government to revise the charges, with particular regard to people on minimum wage and in low-paid employment.
Mr Murphy concluded: “Examples are being given that it’s being brought in to improve the situation where we’re losing up to 50 per cent of our water through a porous water system that has been underfunded by the State and it’s just not good enough that the people are being punished and made to pay for it.
“So far, all we’ve seen is the enormous cost of setting up this operation. The money is not being spent on the infrastructure.”
