THE RIGHT 2 WATER BATTLE

CONTINUES AND ITLL NEVER END

June30,17

Water is now the most valuable resource on the planet. In the UK,
water companies generate three times the profit levels of oil or
gas. With water becoming scarcer, and the planets population
growing, the battle for water ownership and privatization is only
going to continue and escalate. Big business knows this:
Water is a focus for those in the know about global strategic
commodities. As with oil, the supply is finite but demand is growing
by leaps and unlike oil there is no alternative. Credit Suisse.
Household names such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase,
Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Allianz, Deutche Bank and HSBC have
joined companies such as Nestl in securing a stake in the
privatisation of water. Others firms such as Veolia Water, a
company intimately linked with Irish Water, form part of a
conglomerate known as the Global Water Summit, whose domain
name (www.watermeetsmoney.com) tells us everything we need to
know about the agenda being pursued by those involved.
So with this in mind, we must accept that elements of the Irish
political establishment and the elites of the world will always be
trying to commodify and get their hands on our water so they can
hand it over to private profiteers, and that the battle will never, ever
end. Theres simply too much money to be made from water for
them to ever walk away from obtaining its ownership so we cant
either.
Is this a victory?
Much criticism has been made of a number of TDs who support
Right2Water declaring a victory on the plinth of the Dail on 5th April
2017. At that particular time, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on
Water had agreed a draft report stating that charges were to be
abolished, mandatory metering would end and the referendum to
enshrine public ownership of our water supply would take place.
Had that Report been adopted, it would indeed have been a
massive victory for everyone who had campaigned against water
charges.
Instead, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael conspired to change the report
outside of committee hearings, a scandal in itself, undermining the
democratic processes of the Oireachtas, and not for the first time.
In the same week, Simon Coveney, the Minister responsible for
water, issued threats to the committee when he wrote to the Chair.
The result was another flip-flop from Fianna Fail who were now
back in favour of water charges. Remember, before the 2016
general election, Fianna Fail not only declared that they would
scrap water charges, but that they would also abolish Irish Water.
Heres a direct line from Fianna Fail before the election:
Fianna Fil is committed to:
Abolishing Irish Water
Suspending water charges
Investing in infrastructure
Returning services to democratic local councils under a national
framework.
What happened after the election was that more than two thirds of
all TDs elected were officially opposed to water charges. Yet the
charges remained. As David Gibney said in 2016, this is an affront
to democracy.
But back to the victory. Was it a victory? Not exactly. The
government are continuing to ram water charges in through the
back door. They will do anything they can to keep this project alive.
After losing half of their seats in the last election, youd wonder
whether some of these government TDs have shares in private
water companies.
The call of a victory was a bit premature. However, was it a
scandal that they spoke on the Dail plinth and declared a victory?
No. It was naieve to trust the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael members
of the committee but with an Independent chairing the committee,
one might expect a bit of honesty. Furthermore, it must be
remembered that Fine Gael members of the committee were out
lobbying the media on the plinth for weeks, trying to get favourable
coverage for their arguments, which they obviously received. The
Right2Water TDs had to challenge that.
The Right2Water campaign has also come in to criticism for
declaring a substantial victory for people power. Now this, I
believe, is true.
Think back to 2010 and the original plans for water charges. John
Gormley from the Green Party had planned to raise 1 billion from
domestic water charges. By 2014, that had reduced to 300m. By
2015 it was down to 271m and now its down to 0.
In terms of households, a four person family in 2014 was expecting
a bill for 480. By November 2016, that was down to 260. And
everyone was offerred a 100 conservation grant to subscribe to
Irish Water. Three years later and there are no bills and those who
were intimidated into paying are expecting a refund.
Furthermore, Irish Water is no longer looking for your PPS number,
they are no longer threatening to turn your water down to a trickle
for being unable to pay your bills, the government were forced to
legislate to keep Irish Water in public ownership and there has now
been a unanimous vote in favour of a referendum in the Dail,
Eurostat ruled against the government in their off-balance sheet
exercise, and there are many, many more victories. Arguably, the
greatest is the increased level of cooperation of TDs opposed to
austerity as was seen throughout the water committee hearings.
Does this mean the battle is over? No, it never will be, as
mentioned previously.
Importantly, the next two steps in this battle are to:
1 Insist that the government includes the 9.4 Exemption from the
Water Framework Directive in their River Basin Management
Plans.
2 Demand that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing,
Planning, Community and Local Government, along with the
Government, deliver the referendum to enshrine ownership
of our water in the hands of the public.
The River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) and
the 9.4 Water Framework Directive Exemption
Despite mischievous reports to the contrary, the Right2Water
campaign has continually called for the utilisation of the Water
Framework Directive 9.4 exemption from domestic water charges.
The campaign shared Kathy Sinnotts article on the exemption in
2014. We also shared Marian Harkins video in relation to the
exemption. In fact, in a letter of complaint to RTE about their
coverage of water charges, the campaign coordinators were highly
critical of the portrayal by the State broadcaster that the derogation
was gone.
For anyone interested, Right2Water sent a detailed submission to
the Expert Commission on Water which is available for anyone to
read in full here. This is a good resource for anyone wishing to
understand Right2Waters true perspective on water charges. But
specifically in relation to the exemption or derogation, as its
often referred to, the excerpt is here:
In response to a question from Irish MEP Marian Harkin in
June of this year, the European Commission stated that:
Ireland made a clear commitment to set up water charges to
comply with the
provisions of Article 9(1) [of the Water Framework
Directive] ... Ireland
subsequently applied water charges and the commission
considers that the directive does not provide for a situation
whereby it can revert to any previous practice.
However, the Commission is also on record as stating that it
considers established practices to be those practices which
were an established practice at the time of adoption of the
directive. This Directive was adopted on October 23rd, 2000,
and transposed into Irish law in 2003, when it is beyond doubt
that Ireland used general taxation as its established practice.
Indeed, this was the established practice right up until the
introduction of domestic water charges in October 2012 in a
project which has now been resoundly rejected by the
majority of Irish citizens.
On this basis, Right2Water believes it is the Irish
governments duty to use its derogation, justify its approach
to river basin management and, if necessary, challenge the
Commission through the EU courts. If the political will is there
this could be done with reference to the 2014 landmark case
on EU water recovery rules whereby the European Court of
Justice found in favour of Germany, after the European
Commission tried unsuccessfully to take that state to court
for, in its opinion, failing to fulfil its Water Framework
Directive obligations. This judgment conclusively stated that
it cannot be inferred that the absence of pricing for water
service activities will necessarily jeopardise the attainment of
the Water Framework Directive.
To clarify this matter further, every time you call for water charges
to be scrapped, you are calling for the use of the derogation. If the
government were to agree to the scrapping of water charges, or
the Joint Oireachtas Committee was to recommend in favour of
scrapping water charges, this would obviously have to be done by
using the 9.4 exemption.
However, those who have insisted that the Right2Water campaign
prioritise the 9.4 exemption above all else are playing a very
dangerous game. Even if the government include the derogation in
the River Basin Management Plan, the government can still bring
in or continue with water charges. Simply utilising the exemption
does not scrap water charges, abolish Irish Water or end metering
for that matter. Are those who portray the inclusion of the
derogation as the only way to achieve success unaware that the
derogation has been in existance since 2003, and yet the
government brought in water charges anyway? Are they ok with
water charges in place, as long as we have the exemption?
Having said that, it is true that if the government does not include
the derogation, it will be devestating for the campaign. Over the
coming weeks and months we need to focus our attentions
collectively on those who can ensure the exemption is included
in the River Basin Management Plan. This includes Fine Gael,
Fianna Fail and the Independent Alliance. You can find out more
about the RBMP here and we will be lodging our submission
shortly which will be available to the public.
Its important also to remember that the 9.4 exemption is not
permanent. It has to be included in the RBMP by the government
of the day. They and they alone have the right and, in our opinion,
obligation, to compile and submit such plans. Each RBMP covers a
six year period and the current plan is overdue and will apply until
2021, when again, we will have to demand it is included again.
Remember we said this is a permanent battle? This is also one of
the reasons why all those opposed to water charges must get
sufficiently organised. More on this later.
Attacks from within?
Right2Water is a broad based campaign, deliberately so. Since the
beginning we have encouraged all activists to utilise all peaceful
methods to prevent water charges from being imposed on the Irish
public while not focusing on one tactic alone. This included support
for those boycotting bills, blocking the installation of water meters
and lobbying of politicians. This strategy has been a success, so
far. Through mass mobilisation on numerous fronts, and through
unity, together we have delivered some major victories along the
way.
However, since the beginning of the campaign, there has been
powerful opposition. The Irish State has come down heavy on
protesters like those from Jobstown in recent weeks. The
mainstream media has continually misrepresented the anti-water
charges movement and protesters have been labeled dissidents,
sinister fringes, and even been equated to ISIS. Irish Water has
been spending more than 3 million a year on advertising, so we
were never going to get a fair hearing. So called experts have
been rolled out for a well resourced pro-water charges lobby. The
EU has set up fiscal rules which incentivise commodification and
privatisation of water. This is all to be expected.
What is unexpected and unexplained is how many who say they
want water charges scrapped continually misrepresent others in
the campaign. Why do some attack politicians who have
continually voted to scrap charges and refuse to vent their anger or
attention at politicians who vote in favour of them like Fianna Fail
or Fine Gael? They criticise five TDs on a committee of 20 for not
being able to include the 9.4 exemption, yet have never criticised
the person who drafted the report or any of those who voted in
favour of it.
When you look at the facts and the statements linked above, you
wonder what motivation some of these activists have in trying to
undermine the Right2Water campaign?
Right2Waters most recent blog has one sentence which captures
the demands of the campaign:
Irish Water should now be abolished, wasteful metering
programme should be ended, a referendum must be held and
all charges against water protesters should be dropped.
This has been consistent throughout the campaign, so those who
refer to political parties, independent politicians, Right2Water
representatives or anyone else within the campaign as sell outs,
must have some other agenda? Again, for clarity, this is the official
Right2Water policy and it hasnt changed since it was adopted.
For those who still question the motivations of Right2Water, more
evidence is here. And here. And here. And here. And here.
All Right2Water meetings are public and anyone can attend and
have their say. If anyone has genuine criticisms of strategy or
tactics, they can contact us at right2waterirl@gmail.com. It is
important to note that this campaign does not have and never had
anyone working full-time on it.
In the meantime, those who have experienced and felt the power
we have all felt over the last number of years through the water
charges movement, and are genuine about achieving real change
in our country, can attend a Congress for a New Ireland on
Saturday, 9th September 2017 to establish exactly how we can
work together to achieve more successes, including the future
abolition of water charges. Please register to attend the
conference here.
http://www.right2water.ie/blog/right2water-battle-continues-and-itll-never-
end

WHAT IS A SINISTER FRINGE AND ARE

WATER PROTESTERS ISIS AFFILIATES? -
THE MEDIA ON THE WATER CHARGES
PROTESTS
The Irish establishment has reacted hysterically to popular
opposition to the water charges. In an almost comical
performance, the media has focused laser-like on Joan Burtons
feelings while trapped in her car and on the protests alleged
violence. But it has turned a blind eye to the violence of austerity
across the country.
Were not supposed to talk about it because it lends direct support
to the protests, but the background to the recent events is that
since 2009, austerity has attacked communities, families and
individuals throughout the country, and the poor and vulnerable
have paid the heaviest price.
Here is a short list:
-There are now 1,230,000 people suffering from deprivation, or
27% of the populationup from 12% in 2007.
-Between 2009 and 2014, health spending was cut by a mind-
boggling 27%. On top of that, we know that privatised, for-profit
health care systems result in more people who die, worse care,
and more money wasted, but the government is doing nothing
apart from cutting even more.
-Communities have been faced with a string of cuts over 2008-
2014, including:
-Violence against women programme: -38.2%
-Womens organisations: -48.7%
-Projects for youth: -44.1%
-Community development: -43.6%
-Voluntary social housing: -50.0%
-Drugs programmes: -37.0%
-Family Support Agency: -32.5%
-The number of people sleeping rough in Dublin is at its highest
since records began, having tripled in five years. There are 700
homeless children living in emergency accommodation; the
number of homeless families in this situation has more than
doubled in the past year.
We could go on, but the point is that it should come as no surprise
that people are out in the streets trying to force politicians to back
off. It would be surprising if it didnt happen.
But we were told that the protests signaled that we in Ireland were
heading to an ISIS situation, in reference to the violent
fundamentalist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. In a sinister
twist, a sinister fringe has infiltrated and hijacked the protests
(Tom Brady, Niall OConnor and Fionnan Sheahan, Irish
Independent). The protesters are responsible for the creeping
anarchy threatening the peace by engaging in rampant law-
breaking and thuggery (Stephen OByrnes, Irish Independent).
TD Paul Murphy has been a special target, described as a
ridiculous and immature posh kid who is privately educated and
unapologetic about the ugly antics of protesters. The Irish
Independent pictured Murphy on the front page of its Weekend
Review with a big communist logo in the background. Clearly, he
must be friends with Stalin, no? (Kim Bielenberg, Fionnan
Sheahan, Irish Independent).
The fears of Joan Burton when trapped in her ministerial car have
received an incredible degree of attention. If that passion for
details was applied to the hardships of ordinary people living under
austerity, there would be no secrets left about how bad austerity is
as an economic strategy.
We have been told that Burton was abused and that her necklace
was broken. She said I was frightened.
But if the media was serious about discussing feelings of fear and
abuse, it would investigate those of the hundreds of thousands of
people throughout the country suffering from deprivation, or who
fear losing their jobs, or fear not to make ends meet because they
lost their jobs, or fear to end up on the street because they cant
make ends meet, or fear they cant provide for their kids because
they cant keep up anymore. Or look at those who fear death from
cancer because waiting times are too long because the health care
system is privatised and wasteful. Or those who fear they will have
to emigrate because there are no jobs available in Ireland.
But the media cares about the interests of those in power, so it
wont talk about that. The focus is on the two hours Joan Burton
spent in her car.
There has also been much talk about the intimidation and
violence associated with the protests. There have been endless
assertions that:
Throwing a water balloon is violent; throwing an egg is violent;
tapping on a car is violent; shaking a car is violent; intending to
shake a car is violent; a megaphone is very suspicious.
The media likes to narrow it down to those questions only because
it diverts attention from what really matters. It ensures that we
dont ask the questions that should be asked:
Is suicide or depression due to austerity-induced unemployment
violence against the unemployed? Is lack of access to a rape crisis
centre closed by cutbacks a form of violence and intimidation
against victims? Is being forced into homelessness humiliation and
intimidation? Is someone forced to die of cancer because of
waiting lines a victim of violence? Is enforced deprivation
intimidation?
The media and the establishment may reflect on those matters.
Everybody else knows the answers.
Guest contribution from Julien Mercille who is a lecturer at
UCD and the author of The Political Economy and Media
Coverage of the European Economic Crisis: The Case of
Ireland (Routledge). Follow him on twitter @JulienMercille

LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO RTE

BY RIGHT2WATER

To the Director General of RTE,

Seven weeks ago Lynn Boylan, Sinn Fein MEP, asked a very
simple question of the European Commission.
Can the Commission confirm that unless the Water
Framework Directive (WFD) is amended accordingly by
legislative review, the flexibility provisions as set out in
Article 9, paragraph 4, of said Directive remain available to
Member States?
Essentially, is the derogation from implementing water charges still
available to countries in the EU?
As it was a priority question, the answer was supposed to be given
within three weeks. However, seven weeks later and despite
pressure from the Sinn Fein MEP, nothing. A press release was
issued on Monday criticising the EU for blocking answers to
Irelands water derogation with a concern that this was being
coordinated at Cabinet level for political reasons. Then the
answer came, vague as it was.
Article 9(4) of the Water Framework Directive provides that
Member States shall not be in breach of the Directive if they
decide in accordance with established practices not to apply
the provisions of Article 9(1), second sentence, and for that
purpose the relevant provisions of paragraph (2), for a given
water-use activity, where this does not compromise the
purposes and the achievement of the objectives of this
Directive. If the established practice is to have a system in
place implementing the recovery of the costs of water
services, in accordance with the polluter pays principle, the
Commission considers that the flexibility afforded to Member
States as outlined in Article 9 paragraph 4 would not apply.
The response from the EU was emailed to Lynn Boylan only. It
wasnt shared with the rest of the democratically elected members
of the Parliament and wasnt uploaded onto the EUs website. Yet
somehow, RTE ran a report, afterwards claiming theyd been in
contact with the Commission directly. RTEs interpretation was
wild. Lets deconstruct it now:
The European Commission has declared that Ireland does not
enjoy an exemption from the obligation under EU law for a system
of water charges.
The Commission said nothing of the sort. Ireland wasnt mentioned
in the answer.
RTE continues: The confirmation is likely to severely limit the
Government's discretion to scrap water charges.
Confirmation? Where exactly are they finding confirmation from the
Commission?
Furthermore, according to informed sources, Ireland could face a
procedure in the coming months that could lead to daily fines due
to the Government's breach of EU law.
Who are these informed sources? And even if they did confirm
that Ireland could face a procedure in the coming months that
could lead to fines, those same sources might say that Ireland
could win the Eurovision next year, omitting to mention that it is in
fact highly unlikely.
The commission has said that the earlier "flexibility" on water
charges afforded to Ireland no longer applies.
No, it didnt. This is not in the Commissions answer anywhere. It
cannot be found. And in case youre thinking maybe the
confirmation is to be found elsewhere, RTE tell us where they
found this confirmation:
The confirmation comes in the form of a written response to Sinn
Fin MEP Lynn Boylan following a parliamentary question.
It goes on.
The commission's written response makes it clear that Ireland's
de facto exemption from water charges no longer applies because
the Government introduced water charges and metering in 2010.
What? Where does it say that? We re-read the answer and cannot
find a mention for 2010 in it. And if the Government introduced
water charges in 2010, it took five years to get the first bill out.
Thats a very slow process, even by Irish Waters standards. But
hold on, Irish Water, according to their own website, say they took
over responsibility for public water on 1st January 2014. Were RTE
staff being charged four years earlier? Look at the wording again,
Government introduced water chargesin 2010. This is
significant. It appears RTE is making the case that we have been
charging for water for six years, perhaps to back up their own
contention that after six years of charges, we now have an
established practice?
RTE continue, Specifically, Brussels regards the introduction of
water charges as Ireland's "established practice" in ensuring that
the principles of "polluter pays", and "cost recovery" are adhered
to.
Ah, great, were getting into specifics now. But wait, the answer
does not specifically say this. Brussels has not stated that they
regard the introduction of water charges as Irelands established
practice. The Commission may have an opinion on this, one that
wasnt expressed in their answer, but whether Irelands
established practice is water charges or general taxation could
only be determined by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). And
as Ms Boylan informed Mary Wilson on Drivetime, there is only
one precedent in the ECJ on the issue of water and it found in
favour of the Member State (Germany) in 2014, allowing an
exemption from cost recovery.
Also, this term polluter pays is interesting. If somebody has a
shower, flushes a toilet or drinks a glass of water, is this
considered pollution? Because thats what Irish people use water
for. There is absolutely no evidence that Irish people are profligate
with their water. In fact, Irish Water estimates that Irish people use
54,000 litres of water per annum, whereas people in the UK use
68,000 litres. Thats 20% more, and many of those jurisdictions
already have water charges in place. Bear in mind that the UN
says every individual needs 36,500 litres of water per year to
survive showing that were not overusing water unnecessarily. But
then, Irish Water doesnt give anyone any allowances because it
has been established as a revenue raising mechanism, not a
polluter pays principled policy.
But if we want to talk about polluters paying, as the EU themselves
say, corporations and agriculture use 90% of all water, yet they are
only expected to pay approximately 22% of the costs. In Dublin
alone 37% of businesses are refusing to pay for the water they
use. Britvic (Ballygowan), Tipperary Spring Water, Kerry Spring
and Glenpatrick all use our natural spring water to make a profit,
yet they have no limits on how much water they can take out of the
ground and they pay nothing, absolutely nothing, for the extraction
of our natural water. But a lone parent living in deprivation and
experiencing food poverty is expected to pay for the water she
uses to cook for her child, because what shes doing is considered
pollution?
Then theres a reference to cost recovery. I cant add much more
to what Ms Boylan said on Drivetime when she explained that Irish
Water itself is not achieving cost recovery, it is actually only
covering the costs of the billing process. Let this be a warning to
people about what way water bills are going to go if the policy
continues. If the WFD says it needs full cost recovery, and at the
moment were only covering the billing process with all households
paying 260, how much more will the bills be when the cap is
removed in 2019?
RTE at last get around to actually quoting the Commissions
response in the 11th paragraph: In its response to Ms Boylan's
parliamentary question, the commission states: "If the established
practice is to have a system in place implementing the recovery of
the costs of water services, in accordance with the polluter pays
principle, the Commission considers that the flexibility afforded to
Member States would not apply."
Interestingly the three dots represent Article 9 paragraph 4. This
is the exemption.
More from RTE: When the directive was introduced Ireland was
the only country in the European Union that did not apply water
charges.
Hmmmmmm, is this true? Did Northern Ireland apply water
charges then? Did Scotland apply water charges? The answer,
youll be surprised to know, is absolutely not. They both continue to
pay for water through rates. They dont use meters. And thats
perfectly fine with the EU Commission.
Lynn Boylan explains: Scotland pays for water through a rates
system which is based on the ability to pay, provided for in the
social provisions of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). They
do not use water metering and are not in breach of the WFD. They
have submitted their second River Basement Management Plan
(RBMP) also using the ability to pay/non metering model and that
has been adopted and approved by the Commission since March.
Scotland cite the fact that they are a water rich country as a
justification for no fiscal incentive ie metering and that instead they
roll out regular publicity campaigns on conservation.
Wow. So according to the EU you can roll out publicity campaigns
about conservation and avoid any issues with the Commission.
Why didnt RTE report that?
Just in case you hadnt already gotten the picture, RTE were
determined to hammer home their interpretation: It is understood
that the European Commission firmly believes the introduction, by
the former coalition, of water charges meant that Ireland's
"established practice" had changed, and that from that moment on,
Ireland's derogation no longer applied.
Today's written response appears to confirm that belief.
Eh, what? It is understood? How is it understood and who is doing
the understanding, and on what basis has that understanding been
reached? Has the Commission been telling RTE something that
theyre not telling an elected member of parliament? Can we
please find out whether this is RTEs interpretation of the answer
published on Tuesday or whether RTE has some inside
knowledge?
Under EU law the European Commission will take action against
a member state if it is in breach of a directive.
The important word here is if. Were not in breach, and never
have been, and the ECJ precedents back us up and the
experience of Scotland and Northern Ireland also back us up.
Ireland could, therefore, face what is called a "pilot notification" in
the coming months, in which the Government would be given
ten weeks to explain how it is complying with the Water
Framework Directive.
The important word here is could, and the rest is wild speculation,
with absolutely no evidence whatsoever.
If the commission is not satisfied that Ireland is in compliance,
then it can issue a letter of formal notice, a more serious step in
the disciplinary process.
There it is again, if. But this is where the scaremongering gets
really good.
Beyond that, if the commission believes Ireland remains in non-
compliance, it could take Ireland to the European Court of Justice
(ECJ).
If Ireland is found in breach of the Water Framework Directive the
court could impose daily fines.
In December 2012 the ECJ fined Ireland 12,000 per day for
failure to comply with another environmental directive, this time on
waste water.
In the event, Ireland paid a total of 3.5m in fines for failing to
comply with a 2009 ruling that it had failed to fulfill its obligations
on how waste water in septic tanks was disposed of.
Thats it then folks. If we dont interpret things in the way RTE do,
then well be fined millions of euros. So be good little boys and
girls and do as youre told.
Confirmation that Ireland is no longer exempt from water charges
will almost certainly have a bearing on the proposed Expert
Commission, agreed between Fianna Fil and Fine Gael and
enshrined in the Programme for Government, which is due to
examine how to fund domestic water services.
Ohhhhh, so thats what this is all about? Influencing the Expert
Commission before it even gets underway! Lets read that again,
Confirmation that Ireland is no longer exempt from water charges
will almost certainly have a bearing on the proposed Expert
Commission... Theres that word confirmation againwhen there
has been no confirmation anywhere.
The draft terms of reference of the Expert Commission indicate
that it will "take into account Ireland's domestic and international
environmental standards and obligations."
Following talks with Fianna Fil, the Government planned to set up
an independent commission to look at the issue of water charges,
and refer it to a Dil committee before it is voted on in the
chamber.
Now, lets put this very simply. There are three ways to pay for
water:
Domestic water charges
Rates
General taxation
All three are perfectly viable with the European Commission and
are being adopted by countries in the EU at this moment in time.
The Expert Commission is supposed to look at which of those is
most efficient in terms of the economy, the environment and in
terms of our society. There is no doubt in my mind, nor in the mind
of Maude Barlow, the worlds leading expert on water and one of
the great conservationists of our time, that paying for water
through general taxation is the most efficient in all three categories.
Right2Water is seeking to be included on that Expert Commission
to put forward factual evidence of water charges and where they
lead. In the meantime, we would kindly request a tiny bit of
balance and factual reporting from RTE. You are not the State
broadcaster, you are the national broadcaster, and there is a
difference.
This latest reporting is only one of a series of incidents where RTE
has not shown any balance on the issue of water, and follows on
from the Claire Byrne show in 2015 where in a discussion about
water charges, RTE had two panelists, Alan Farrell TD from Fine
Gael and Eddie Hobbs from Renua, both in favour of water
charges. Where was the balance there?
We sincerely hope that RTE clarifies the record on the above
issues and affords Right2Water an opportunity over the coming
days, weeks and months to put forward an alternative, factual and
balanced view about paying for our water services.
Regards,
Right2Water Ireland Coordinators
Brendan Ogle & David Gibney
NOTE: since this complaint was issued, the European Commission
have been in contact with another journalist stating:
"The Directive does not allow Member States that have introduced
water charges to apply article 9(4) and revert to any previous
practice not entailing the recovery of costs and the application of
the polluter pays principle."
This new information contradicts the European Commission's
official on the record responses to members of the European
Parliament. This type of behaviour by the EC, where they tell
journalists one thing, and democratically elected public
representatives another, is completely unacceptable.

9TH RIGHT2WATER NATIONAL

DEMONSTRATION SET FOR
SATURDAY APRIL 8TH 2017

Campaign welcomes unanimous Oireachtas Committee

endorsement of referendum
Complete abolition of charges and metering remain bottom
line
At a press conference held this morning (Thursday March 9th), the
Right2Water campaign announced that its 9th National
Demonstration will be held on Saturday April 8th. The Press
Conference was addressed by Right2Water Co-Ordinator Brendan
Ogle, Oireachtas Committee member Jonathan OBrien and
Maeve Curtis of Dundalk Right2Water, a non- party community
activist, Wife, Mother and Grandmother
Commenting, Unite official and Right2Water Coordinator Brendan
Ogle said:
Without the sustained pressure exerted by the public through the
Right2Water campaign since 2014, we would not be where we are
now with charges nearly abolished and an Oireachtas Committee
largely reflecting the views of hundreds of thousands of people
who came onto the streets of our towns and cities to assert our
human right to water, as well as the electorate in Election 2016.
We welcome the unanimous view of the Committee that a
referendum should be held to enshrine our water services in public
ownership.
The demonstration on April 8th will allow the public to
demonstrate that this issue is not an issue of political opportunism
but is, and always has been, about vindication of our human
Right2Water by paying for our water and sanitation through the
exemplary model of progressive taxation. I would like to reiterate
our view that charges should be abolished in their entirety and that
water metering, which is an enabler of charges, should also be
abolished and the associated funds invested instead in our
antiquated and leaking water infrastructure, Mr Ogle said.
In addition Right2Water responded to arguments about excessive
use by calling on Minister Simon Coveney to enact a swimming
pool tax and have committed to supporting such a simple and
direct tax to assuage ministerial and other concerns about
excessive use linked to swimming pool ownership.
The demonstration on April 8th will be in Dublin City Centre with
route and assembly to be announced closer to the date.

WATER COMMISSION REPORT

VINDICATES RIGHT2WATER
CAMPAIGN

The publication of the report by the Expert Commission on water

has vindicated everything the Right2Water campaign has been
saying for almost three years. Water should be paid for through
general taxation which is the most socially equitable, economically
beneficial and environmentally sound.
Frustratingly, had an arrogant government and media listened to
our campaign and people in communities across this country, we
would not have wasted 1 billion on water meters and establishing
Irish Water as a commercial entity. Even Engineers Ireland warned
the government back in 2010 that bringing in water charges would
mean "spending 1bn of money we dont have on something we
dont need.
The key findings of the report include:
That Irish people already pay for their water through taxation and
that water funded through general taxation is not free but
paid for by the taxpayer.
Access to adequate clean water for living requirements should
not be determined by affordability.
 A referendum is necessary to protect our public water system
from privatisation.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of water availability in the
world, with water availability per person four times higher
than France and fifty times higher than Israel.
The expert commission has not seen any evidence that Ireland
has particularly high levels of domestic water usage and
Irish people are at the lower end of the spectrum when it
comes to comparing water usage among other European
countries.
Irish people use between 15-25 percent less water than the UK,
where water charges have been in place since 1989.
Water charges do not result in water conservation unless they
include education and information. Therefore, it can be
established that it is education and information which results
in water conservation, not the charges.
Commercial companies are not paying their water bills with
almost half refusing to pay. Ensuring a comprehensive
commercial water charges regime should reduce
dependence on general taxation.
There are no abstraction charges for our natural spring water on
private companies like Britvic (Ballygowan) who pay nothing
when bottling our natural spring water for profit. This should
be addressed.
Metering should only be done on an optional basis.
Group schemes should have an allowance in order to create
equity.
There is a need for investment of 5.5bn in our infrastructure by
2021.
The water charges regime does not have political support or
popular acceptance.
Flat rate charges are regressive and do not address the issue of
conservation. Also, a water charge added to a property tax
leads to unfairness in the system.
The water charges regime was intended to reduce household
consumption of water by a mere 6%, yet the system leaks
41% of all treated water. The best way to reduce waste is to
fix the leaks.
While considerable weight must be given to the opinion of the
European Commission, the definitive interpretation of
European law is a matter for the Court of Justice of the
European Union.
Borrowings?
Importantly, the Commission states that because the funding of
domestic water should come from general taxation in public
ownership, it will no longer achieve the off balance sheet
exercise. This will reduce or potentially eliminate the need for
borrowing which inevitably leads to debt and the servicing of that
debt by households diverting money directly into the financial
services sector instead of the water infrastructure.
Leakages
The report says that there are 7% of households using six times
more water than the average household, although Irish Water have
indicated that customer-side leaks contribute to this anomaly.
However, it is estimated that up to 97% of leaks do not come from
the household side of the infrastructure and the report states it
should be noted that water leaks waste not only water but also
energy and public money. Therefore, it makes sense to divert all
money from the domestic metering programme towards a district
metering programme as recommended in the report.
Water Charges
The Expert Commission has suggested that where water is used
at a level above what is necessary for normal domestic purposes,
that the user should pay for this through tariffs. The suggestion is
that an allowance is determined and this allowance could be
regularly reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted to reflect changes
in water use patterns in Ireland.
As stated earlier, the evidence provided shows that Irish people
are not profligate with their water and in fact use less water than
almost any other country in the Europe despite having more water
available to us.
There are also very serious concerns about any allowances being
eroded over time, like bin charges.
Therefore, continuing an expensive water metering programme
with the added costs of highly paid consultants, advertising,
postage, call centres and other costs, for no conservational benefit
would be an extraordinary waste of valuable resources, costing up
to 300m per year and returning potentially nothing.
The government and the Oireachtas sub-committee should accept
the will of the electorate two thirds of whom voted for parties and
individuals who promised abolition. This is now also backed up by
an Irish Times MRBI poll which also says two thirds of the
population want to scrap the charges.
With all of this in mind, it is essential that water charges are
abolished outright.
Funding?
In addressing the funding of water services, the Commission
suggests that the funding requirements which were to be allocated
through domestic water charges are now made through the
exchequer rather than by householders directly.
The current government and the previous government must take
responsibility for the leakages and deteriorated infrastructure that
Irish people currently have to rely on. In the last three Budgets
alone, tax cuts of 2.9 billion have been implemented. The
beneficiaries of those tax cuts are the top 20% of earners and also
employers. In ensuring our water system is fit for purpose, the
government should immediately:
3 Cease all cuts to progressive taxation.
4 Stop the metering programme and wasting money on the vanity
project that is Irish Water.
5 Increase taxation revenue by implementing the Fiscal
Framework Document set out by the Right2Water Trade
Unions in 2015 which could raise up to 10 billion. This
would not only fix and upgrade the water infrastructure, but
could also address our housing and homelessness crisis,
along with our healthcare, education and other underfunded
public services.
Media Failure
It is felt that the majority of the Irish media failed in their duty to
facilitate an honest and democratic debate about the Irish
governments water policy.
While a number of trade unions, political representatives and
community groups were attempting to raise real and valid issues in
relation to water charges and their implications locally, nationally
and internationally, a compliant media refused to accept the
arguments put forward and even refused to allow a debate to
ensue.
Even now, faced with all of the evidence which shows that Ireland
is a water rich country and that Irish people do not waste water,
many media outlets refuse to accept the fact that water charges
are economically inefficient, theyre environmentally unsound and
socially destructive.
Furthermore, protesters were and continue to be demonised and
vilified for their stance on water charges, yet this report now
vindicates what they have said all along: that paying for water
through progressive general taxation is the fairest and most
equitable method possible.
As Maude Barlow, environmentalist and expert on water from the
Blue Planet Project and the Council of Canadians said, The Irish
system of paying for water and sanitation services through
progressive taxation and non-domestic user fees is an exemplary
model of fair, equitable and sustainable service delivery for the
entire world.
Right2Water remains committed to its stated objective of the
abolition of water charges and Irish Water.
RIGHT2WATER TRADE UNIONS
PRESENT ALTERNATIVE
ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR A
PROGRESSIVE IRISH
GOVERNMENT

The trade unions involved in the Right2Water campaign have

published A New Fiscal Framework for a Progressive Irish
Government which outlines the economic choices a progressive
Irish government could avail of in order to create a fairer more
equal society.
Crucially, included in the Fiscal Framework is an explanation on
how a government can fulfil the Right2Water policy of abolition of
domestic water charges and how funding for water provision,
sanitation and investment can be provided through progressive
general taxation.
The Right2Water trade unions are hosting a conference on
Saturday (13th June) where other policy areas will be discussed
including the Right2Education, Right2Housing, Right2Health and
other social and economic areas. The Fiscal Framework, if
implemented, would allow a progressive Irish government to
address the social crisis in each of these areas and more.
In total, the Fiscal Framework provides for an extra 9.4 billion
over four years with increased spending on public services and
income supports by more than 6 billion, or over 10 percent.
Michael Taft, Research Officer with Unite the Union, explained how
employers PRSI would be used as a key contributor towards the
campaigns objectives.
Employers in Ireland pay approximately one third of what their
counterparts in Europe pay in social insurance contributions. On
the other hand, workers are paying approximately the same rate
as their fellow Europeans through income taxes, USC, VAT and
employees PRSI rates. If we want to have European style public
services and social protections then it is obvious where the gap
lies and thats in employers PRSI rates.
If Ireland were to have the average employers PRSI rates, it
would provide a further 8 billion in revenue and were proposing
achieving this incrementally in the long term. However, we could
raise 4.1 billion over four years through this measure and
wealth/capital taxation, he said.
The document states that 300 million can be raised by a wealth
tax citing work by the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI).
Although, the Minister for Finance projected wealth tax revenue at
between 400 and 500 so it is possible a wealth tax may raise
more than what's contained in the Fiscal Framework document.
The Right2Water trade unions acknowledged the governments
plans for tax reductions in future Budgets but said their fiscal
framework would enact policies that benefit those in most need by
addressing tax measures such as VAT, refundable tax credits and
other progressive tax measures.
RIGHT2WATER CAMPAIGNS TELLS
WATER COMMITTEE CHARGES
FOR EXCESSIVE WATER USE
WOULD BE A WASTE OF
TAXPAYERS' MONEY

The Right2Water campaign attended the Oireachtas committee

today where the group said applying a charge for excessive water
usage would be a waste of taxpayers money.
David Gibney, spokesperson for Right2Water said if the committee
were to pursue households for excessive water usage it would cost
almost 300 million but the maximum return would be 30 million if
you apply the criteria recommended by the Expert Commission on
Domestic Public Water Services.
Mr Gibney pointed out that there is absolutely no evidence to
suggest that Irish people are profligate with their water. In fact, he
pointed out to the committee that Ireland has among the highest
amount of available water in the EU and uses less water than
almost any other country in the developed world.
We have 50 times more water available to us than Israel, and yet
we use 25 percent less water than the UK where theyve had
water charges in place since 1989, said Mr Gibney.
He added that there was already provision for dealing with
excessive water usage through the Water Services Act 2007.
Steve Fitzpatrick, who also answered questions at the committee
on behalf of Right2Water highlighted the fact that certain politicians
and the government are determined to penalise domestic citizens
while ignoring the problem of corporations using excessive
amounts of water.
After the Committee hearing, Mr Fitzpatrick said, Its clear some
parties want to ignore the democratic will of the public where two
thirds of the population want water charges scrapped. They are
using a false argument about excessive domestic usage to
vindicate pushing through their water privatisation agenda without
any democratic mandate.
He added, If politicians are serious about implementing the
polluter pays principle, it is our view that the huge industrial
wastage of water through distilleries, the pollution of rivers by
mega farmers, the free water obtained from our springs by
multinational companies like Britvic, and the almost half of all
companies who are currently refusing to pay commercial water
charges should be addressed.
Mr Gibney concluded, Right2Water does not believe that a charge
for excessive water usage on domestic households makes sense.
The real waste is in the 41 percent of water that is leaked before it
gets to your tap of which only 3 percent is on the household side.
Yet, instead of investing in upgrading the infrastructure and fixing
the leaks, some political parties are persistent in pursuing a
fictional line about Irish families wasting water despite their own
expert commission saying, The expert commission has not seen
any evidence that Ireland has particularly high levels of domestic
water usage, and indeed, Irish people are at the lower end of the
spectrum when it comes to comparing water usage to other
European countries.
The Right2Water campaign is calling on the two thirds of TDs
elected to the Dail on a mandate for scrapping water charges to
quit playing games, stand by their electoral promises and end
water charges before they waste any more taxpayers money.
OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE ON
WATER MUST RECOMMEND
ABOLITION OF WATER CHARGES

A letter sent to all TD's and Senators today by Right2Water:

Dear Deputy/Senator,
As you are no doubt aware, water charges have been the biggest
political issue over the last number of years. Indeed two thirds of
those elected to Dail Eireann last year were returned with a
democratic mandate to abolish water charges. This is backed up
by the Irish Times MRBI Poll which shows that 62% of Irish people
want water charges scrapped while only 34% said they wished to
keep them.
Last week the Right2Water campaign was invited to attend the
Oireachtas Committee on water to put forward our campaigns
position. Some TDs and media outlets have selectively interpreted
our responses to questions from members of the committee and
previous media interviews.
Insofar as Right2Water have ever been interpreted as commenting
on an excess use charge, this should only be considered in the
form of a swimming pool tax to assuage the oft cited media and
political concerns in this respect. In fact, the questions asked at the
Oireachtas hearing and on RTEs Sean ORourke Show both
referenced swimming pools as the example of excessive usage.
Let us be unequivocal here. Right2Water does not believe metered
domestic water charges should be implemented for a number of
reasons:
There is no evidence that Irish people are profligate with their
water. As the expert commission stated in their report, The
expert commission has not seen any evidence that Ireland
has particularly high levels of domestic water usage and
Irish people are at the lower end of the spectrum when it
comes to comparing water usage among other European
countries. In fact, Irish people use between 15-25% less
water than UK households, again as cited by the expert
commission, as well as 35% less water usage than people in
Germany.
Ireland has the among the highest rates of water availability in
the world, with water availability four times higher than
France and fifty time higher than Israel, for instance.
The imposition of domestic water charges for excessive usage
would be the thin end of the wedge. No doubt, like other
nominal charges (for example bins charges), these charges
will increase over time and any potential allowances would
also be eroded over time.
Implementing domestic water charges would double the cost of
water infrastructure in the medium term from 350 per
annum per domestic unit to 700 per annum per domestic
unit. This is due to the costs of metering including
installation, maintenance, administration and replacement.
There are further costs including advertising (3 million per
year), postage (6 million per year) and consultants (90
million to date).
Any metered watered system would be a stepping stone towards
privatisation irrespective of the governments declarations or
position. For instance, the Troika has forced privatisation of
water in countries where there is economic turbulence.
There is little evidence to show that water meters increase
conservation. Again, in the expert commissions report they
state that conservation only occurs where there are
education and awareness campaigns.
For these reasons and more, Right2Water is opposed to any
metered domestic charges. Even if members of the Dail are to
consider imposing a charge for the non-existent excessive use at
the levels indicated in the expert commissions report (90% of
users or 150% of average domestic consumption), this would only
yield between 14m and 27m. To spend almost 300 million of
taxpayers money every year pursuing this relatively small amount
would be economically irresponsible and idiotic.
Arguments by some in favour of metering because it helps identify
leaks are disingenuous. More than 41% of all water is leaked
before it gets to taps. 97% of that leakage does not come on the
household side and district metering would be a far more efficient
investment in terms of identifying leaks and addressing the
inadequacies in the system.
In terms of funding our water services, it is the position of
Right2Water that this should come from general taxation. Also, as
referenced by the expert commission, the 50% of commercial
water charges that are not collected on an annual basis should be
pursued and the lack of abstraction charges where companies
like Britvic (Ballygowan) and others can extract our natural spring
water in limitless supplies and do not pay anything needs to be
addressed.
We have attached our full submission to the expert commission
for your perusal should you need any further clarity on any of the
above.
In conclusion, Right2Water has forced a national discussion about
water charges despite successive governments attempts to
steamroll the regressive policy through the Oireachtas. All of the
evidence presented by Right2Water for three years now has been
proven correct by the expert commission. While our campaign and
our policy position was largely ignored by governments and media
outlets, the public were listening to us resulting in some of the
largest demonstration in Irish history and the electoral outcome
last year. Any attempts to implement any form of domestic water
charges should be seen as an attack on the democratic outcome
of the last election. In this context, we are demanding that all
members of Dail Eireann who stood on a platform of abolition of
water charges in General Election 2016 follow through with their
mandate and end water charges once and for all.
We are also calling on all members of the Oireachtas to swiftly
pass legislation allowing a referendum on ownership of our water
to progress as soon as possible so that the Irish public do not have
to put up with another thinly veiled water privatisation fiasco in the
future.
Yours sincerely,
Right2Water Coordinators
David Gibney
Brendan Ogle
http://www.right2water.ie/sites/default/files/media/Right2Water
%20submission%20to%20the%20Expert%20Commission%20on%20Domestic
%20Public%20Water%20Services%20-%20final%20%281%29.pdf
RIGHT2WATER
Water is a human right, essential for life and for all our human needs. As such,
water provision and sanitation should not be subject to the profit motive or
the free market and should be made available to all, free at the point of use,
and on the basis of need, not means.

Irish Water PLC and domestic water charges will be abolished within the first
100 days of a progressive Government.

Irish Water PLC will be replaced with a single national water and sanitation
board which will be solely responsible for the provision, transmission,
sanitation, management and operation of the public water and sanitation
supply in the public interest.

This policy will see a full referendum to enshrine a new Article in Bunreacht Na
hEireann. The date of this referendum would coincide with the establishment
of the new national water board.

Article 28 Section 4:2.1

The Government shall be collectively responsible for the protection,
management and maintenance of the public water system. The Government
shall ensure in the public interest that this resource remains in public
ownership and management.
This policy will provide for an end to water meter installation and ensuing
costs.

This policy will see conservation measures legislated for including mandatory
planning permission requirements, incentivised and subsidised water saving
devices, and a public education campaign.

Our water infrastructure is in desperate need of investment in order to

upgrade the system and repair leaks. This policy provides for an investment of
between 6 and 7 billion to be provided through a progressive taxation
model, details of which are available in the accompanying Fiscal Framework
Document.

Funding our water services through progressive taxation measures will ensure
citizens always have access to water based on their needs without the
possibility of water shut-offs due to unpaid bills in the future. It will also
ensure our water services will never be privatised and that Ireland remains
with zero water poverty.

Acknowledgement The Right2Water Unions acknowledge the support and

advice in framing the above referendum position of Seamus OTuathail S.C.
and Treasa Brannick OCillin, candidate Barrister at Law Degree, The
Honourable Society of Kings Inns.
WATER COMMITTEE REPORT A
SUBSTANTIAL VICTORY FOR
PEOPLE POWER SAY
RIGHT2WATER, BUT CAMPAIGN
WILL GO ON

Irish Water should now be abolished, wasteful metering

programme should be ended, a referendum must be held and
all charges against water protesters should be dropped, say
campaign
Right2Water, the umbrella campaign for the water charges protest
movement, today welcomed the now inevitable ending of domestic
water charges, the blanket metering programme and the
consensus that there must be a referendum on protecting the
ownership and management of the public water system in the
Constitution.
However, Right2Water committed to continuing to keep pressure
on efforts by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to keep the privatisation
agenda alive with expensive and unnecessary metering
programmes continuing in some instances.
Right2Water spokesperson Brendan Ogle stated: Fianna Fail,
having put domestic water charges on the political agenda in 2009,
will not now be allowed to steal the credit for killing Phil Hogan and
Alan Kellys ridiculous water scams from the hundreds of
thousands of people who changed this country forever by their
strength, persistent protests and unity.
He added, In 2014 Irish people said enough is enough, and they
havent stopped saying it since.
Those citizens will continue to make sure that our Right2Water,
and many other rights, are not turned into commodities for profit
and greed at the expense of future generations.
Community activist and mother Fiona Nichols from Wicklow said,
this is our win, it is a win for a peoples movement all over Ireland,
but while it is a massive win it is also a partial win.
She added, We want all single meters gone. These meters save
nothing, suck up money needed to fix leaks and ultimately they
become the hardware of water privatisation
Ms Nichols said Simon Coveney should have allowed this
Committee to disband Irish Water. We need a National Public
Water Board, not a bloated quango like Irish Water which is toxic
and needs to be buried.
Mr. Ogle urged protestors to celebrate the success achieved to
date in Dublin on Saturday, 8th April 2017 at 2 pm, when
Right2Water will hold their 9th national day of protest. He said
thousands will be descending on the city to demand a date for the
Water Referendum.
Mr Ogle concluded, The Taoiseach recently called a referendum
to extend a democratic franchise to those in the diaspora. With
water now the most profitable non-financial commodity on the
planet, it is essential our water remains in public ownership. Can
the Taoiseach act to enhance our democracy and prove Fine Gael
have no water privatisation agenda by announcing a date to put
our human Right2Water to the people in a referendum?
We have come so far, and after years of austerity there is reason
to celebrate this substantial victory. But there is more work to do
also. Join us in Dublin on Saturday to continue that work and
continue to enhance and deliver your human Right2Water.
RIGHT2WATER STRATEGY,
TACTICS, UNITY

Right2Water was established as a broad based campaign with one

key belief and one key objective that water is a human right and
that water charges should be abolished.
Right2Water has three main pillars, all of whom bring their own
unique skills and attributes to the campaign:
Political parties/Independent Representatives bring political
knowledge; an ability to raise issues in the Dail and Seanad,
and have activists in communities all over Ireland.
Trade Unions bring organisational skills; are politically neutral;
provide economic and political research; have activists in
workplaces all over the country and bring financial
assistance.
Community groups are the heart of the movements resistance
 on the ground; have the ability to mobilise quickly and
efficiently and provide a network of groups all over Ireland.
The combined potential of these three pillars is one of the reasons
for the success of Right2Water so far. To date, the three pillars
have worked closely together and with mutual respect for
differences of opinions on tactics and strategies.
Strategy
Part of Right2Waters strategy was to provide a common platform
which could create a more powerful voice than the sum of the
individual components of the anti-water charges groups across
Ireland. Right2Water wanted to not only mobilise people, but to
educate citizens on the economic, social and political aspects
behind water charges. We also wanted to provide a platform for all
associated groups political parties, community groups and trade
unions to get their own organisations position and tactics to the
forefront. This has worked well over the past three mass
demonstrations where all groups had the potential to get their
message to a combined 300,000+ people.
The campaign also began with the aim of getting water charges as
the number one item on the news agenda. Before the October 11th
demonstration there was very little if any coverage of protests.
That has since changed.
Tactics
There are three commonly accepted tactics of groups/people
opposed to water charges in Ireland:
6 Those who are blocking the installation of water meters;
7 Those who are advocating non-payment;
8 Those who will end up paying out of fear or for other personal
reasons, but will hold political parties accountable at the next
elections.
These groups are not mutually exclusive and many of them
overlap. Right2Water welcomes all of the above inside the
campaign.
At this point in time, Right2Water is a campaign and not an
organisation with formal structures and decision making
mechanisms. It was formed on the basis of consensus, with the
intention to maximise and unify the number of people involved in
resisting water charges. All you need to be part of the campaign is
to believe that water is a human right and that water charges
should be abolished. The tactics and strategies of individuals and
organisations are up to themselves. It was on this basis that
several more organisations and individuals have affiliated to the
campaign since the launch in August 2014. We hope to grow in
2015 too.
Right2Water does not advocate any specific tactics but supports all
groups and individuals who do. As a broad coalition of groups all
with their own decision making mechanisms we have operated
on the basis of common respect for differences of opinions,
maximising numbers and on the basis of solidarity and unity.
Trade Unions, for instance, are democratic organisations run by
their members. They can only advocate non-payment if their
members put a motion to their annual or biennial conference and it
is passed by a majority of their delegates (shop stewards). So far
there are five unions in the campaign representing more than
100,000 workers, none of whom have official policies of non-
payment.
Other groups, including some political parties, who have their own
democratic structures, have not taken positions of advocating non-
payment. This does not mean they are in favour of payment, only
that they cannot officially call for non-payment at this moment in
time because their members have not endorsed that position.
Right2Water has been based on the concept of inclusivity, with the
age-old notion that there is strength in numbers and that the
greatest way to defeat water charges is by standing together in the
largest collective of citizens possible. For Right2Water to enter into
the tactical sphere and dictate specific tactics would be to exclude
certain groups and individuals from participating in the campaign.
We believe this would dilute our numbers and our power.
Therefore, at this point in time, we have not called for all
supporters to block the installation of meters nor have we
specifically called for non-payment from all supporters. The
participation in these activities is a personal decision for the
individuals and groups themselves.
Since the beginning of the campaign, Right2Water has embraced
all those opposed to water charges, including those who are not
comfortable with civil disobedience and those who may be
intimidated into paying for their own personal reasons.
What next?
While all protests to date have been extraordinarily successful,
forcing the government into one of the biggest U-turns in the
history of the state, it is now time to take stock and develop the
campaign even further to ensure our key objective the abolition
of water charges.
The campaign has no full-time staff and it has been coordinated
and funded in most part by trade unions. There are only two or
three people working part time on coordinating this campaign,
which has no full time staff on social media or answering
emails/questions. We understand this has caused considerable
frustration but with the level of interaction, both with the media and
the public, it has been impossible to respond to all
communications. We regret any frustrations borne out of this
situation but the campaign is currently looking to develop a more
sustainable funding model for 2015 ensuring maximum utilisation
of resources.
In recent weeks, water charges legislation has been put on the
statute books, which, we believe, is not the democratic will of the
Irish people. Right2Water has given a commitment that we will
have these water charges reversed and remove this legislation. At
the launch of the Right2Water campaign we said we would ensure
that water charges would be the number one issue in the run up to
the next general election. This may mean working with political
parties, community groups and trade unions to mobilise on a
constituency by constituency basis forming a cohesive electoral
strategy. This will all be developed in the coming months.
Unity
We are on the precipice of achieving our goal, provided we can
maintain the level of unity we have shown to date. Together we
have mobilised an army of activists across the country in every
village, town and city. This level of mobilisation has never before
been seen in Ireland and it is something we can all be proud of.
If we can continue as a broad based coalition of political groups,
trade unionists and most importantly community groups, displaying
a mutual respect for diverse opinions on tactics but unifying
around our core belief, that water is a human right and water
charges should be abolished, then there is no doubt that we can
win and defeat these unfair water charges. This would represent
the single greatest piece of people power in recent history. Lets do
it together.

Public Consultation on the draft River Basin Management Plans for Ireland
2018-2021
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/public-
consultation/files/draft_river_basin_management_plan_1.pdf
SEA Environmental Report for the Draft River Basin Management
Plans
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/public-
consultation/files/rbmp_sea_environmental_report_1.pdf
Natura Impact Statement for the draft RBMP's for Ireland
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/public-
consultation/files/natura_impact_statement_for_the_rbmps_for_irel
and.pdf

Water Heritage Day

Posted by A DM IN on J U N E 27, 20 17
WATER HERITAGE DAY is Sunday 27th August 2017
HELP US CELEBRATE WATER
Heritage week 2017 runs from August 19th 27th and
encourages us to take a little time out with family and friends
to explore wild and wonderful world around us. Its an ideal
opportunity to get outdoors, discover hidden treasures and
make memories with our children.
Water Heritage Day is Sunday 27th August 2017 and this will
see events taking place across the country to promote greater
appreciation of our rivers, lakes, groundwater, coastal water
and transitional waters. Water is a precious yet fragile resource
that needs our care. We depend on a clean and plentiful supply
of water for our many aspects of our lives including on our
health, well-being and economy.
Some of the most beautiful places in Ireland are linked to our
lakes, rivers, coastline. Our wildlife and wild places provide
inspiration and enjoyment for young and old alike and there is
so much to gain from water in its many forms as it journeys
through the catchments from source to sea.
Why not take the opportunity on Sunday 27th August, Water
Heritage Day, to discover your water catchment or promote
your local river, lake or beach? Here are some suggested ways
to get involved:
Discover more about the natural and built water heritage in
your locality.
Set up an event along one of Irelands Blueways.
Ask your local angling group to organise a walk or workshop to
demonstrate the importance of river and marine wildlife.
Highlight local stories and legends about water, for example
tell the story behind your local holy well.
Promote art, poetry, dance and writing inspired by your local
waters.
Try your hand at sailing, boating, surfing, kayaking or fishing.
The Local Authority Waters and Communities Office in
partnership with the Heritage Council are promoting Water
Heritage Day 2017. If you would like to organise or register an
event in your local area, or to gain more ideas simply visit
www.heritageweek.ie/news
Remember to always stay safe on or near water.
http://watersandcommunities.ie/wp-
content/uploads/2017/06/Heritage-Week-Guide-2017_Promotional-
page.pdf

What do your local waters mean

to you?
What do your local rivers, lakes and coastal waters
mean to you?
Public meetings to discuss your local waters in the context of
the draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018 2021
will be held over the coming weeks in locations right across the
country. At these meetings, discussions will include topics
such as heritage, water quality, angling, biodiversity,
agriculture, recreational use, tourism etc. This new approach
will allow local communities have a greater say in the
management of our natural waters, now and into the future.
Information on the latest draft national plan will also be
presented, with details on how you can have a say and input
into the final plan. There is now an opportunity to share
Your local knowledge and experience on the waters of your
area. For dates and venues of meetings close to you see the
map below. (Map may take a moment to load depending on
your broadband). If you wish to make a submission please
download the RBMP Submission Form and bring it along to one
of our public meetings, send by post or by email
to info@lawco.ie or rbmp@housing.gov.ie.
Click here to make an online submission
If you wish to view a list of meetings in table format please
scroll down below the MAP.
MAP May take a minute to display depending on your
broadband. Note: Blue Dots are upcoming meetings. Yellow
Dots are completed meetings.

River Basin Management Plan

 Posted by A DM IN on A PR IL 7, 20 17
Minister launches the draft River Basin Management
Plan.
Mr. Simon Coveney T.D. Minister for Housing, Planning,
Community and Local Government has published the draft
River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018-2021 and
invites submissions, observations and comments on the
proposed plans during a six month public consultation process.

European Legislation Identifier (ELI) Uniform Resource Identifier

(URI) Standard for the electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB).

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/ELI_URI_schema.pdf

Irelands Illegal Act of 1992 means the Environmental Protection

Agency Act, 1992

https://www.epa.ie/pubs/legislation/poe/EPA_legislation_epa_act_1
992.pdf

LegislationRepublicofIrelandispartoftheOccupationalHealth&SafetyInformationService's
onlinesubscription.Bringingyouacomprehensiveselectionoflegislation,regulations,guidance,
standards,includingBSIandbestpracticewhichisupdateddaily,youcanfinddocumentsonawide
rangeofsubjectareassuchasFood&Drink,EnvironmentalHealth,EnvironmentalManagement,Fire
&OffshoreSafety.

Occupational Health & Safety Information Service Benefits at a Glance:

Comprehensive Content - updated every six hours, content is sourced

from an extensive range of key publishers

High Quality Documents - presented in true PDF to enable rapid file

download and faster desktop processing

Document Summaries - time saver summaries saving users from having

to scan full text documents in their search for The Right One

Flexible Searching - searching across all Health & Safety products with
results displaying the most relevant documents at the top of the list, users
also have the ability to refine their search results
 Health & Safety Made Easy - easy to understand summaries on key
subject areas, compliance checklists and slides which users can include in
their own Power Point presentations

Case Law Abstracts - summaries of key cases

Briefing Services - the first step in email alerting, our monthly NewsBrief
delivers the latest industry news, hot topics, legislation watch and more

http://products.ihs.com/Ohsis-
SEO/LEGISLATIONREPUBLICOFIRELAND.html
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO RISK BASED REGULATION BY THE EPA, IRELAND

DeputyDirectorGeneral,EnvironmentalProtectionAgency...Specificfunctionslaiddownbythe
EPAAct1992...Thedetectionandcessationofillegal

http://risksummit.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RISK-BASED-
REGULATION-BY-THE-EPA-IRELAND_Dara-Lynott.pdf

Unconventional Gas Exploration

and Extraction (UGEE) Joint
Research Programme
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/ugeejointresearchprogramme/EPA
%20-%20UGEE%20SR2_web.pdf

Regulating Irelands Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2015 clean air

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/consultation/Draft%20Better%20Regulation
%20Policy.pdf
Unconventional Gas Exploration
Summary Report 4: Impacts and Mitigation Measures
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/ugeejointresearchprogram
me/EPA%20-%20UGEE%20SR4_web.pdf
Final Report 3: Baseline Characterisation of Air Quality
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/ugeejointresearchprogram
me/UGEE_JRP_FinalReport3.pdf
Presentation by the Department of Communications, Climate Action &
Environment Re: the import of pre-charged equipment containing F-Gases

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/air/fluorinatedgreenhousegases/Pre
sentation_by_DCCAE_Re_the_import_of_pre_-
_charged_equipment_Jan_2017).pdf
Air Pollution Appeal - M11 Enniscorthy JV E0002-01

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/apa/airpollutionapp
eale0002-01/Inspectors%20Report.pdf
State of Play of Air Science EPA
Research in Ireland: Discussion Document
Authors: Aoife Donnelly, Bruce Misstear, Brian Broderick and
Francesco Pilla
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/air/EPA%20RR
%20211%20final%20web.pdf

Waste Electrical and

Electronic Equipment
(WEEE)
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/waste/weee/Guidance%20manual
%20for%20submission%20of%20a%20WEEE%20Waste
%20Management%20Report.pdf
Solid Fuel Suppliers Registration Application Form

Summary:RegistrationApplicationFormforSpecifiedFuelSuppliersunderArticle8(2)oftheAir
PollutionAct(Marketing,Sale,

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/forms/sfs/Solid_Fuel_Supplier_Registration
_%20Form_2017_-_V1.1.pdf

ECORISK Ecosystem Services Valuation

for
Environmental Risk and Damage
Assessment
Authors: Craig Bullock and Robert OShea
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/econ/EPA%20RR
%20206%20final%20web.pdf
Air Pollution Appeal - Clare Lagan Joint Venture E0003-01

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/apa/airpollutionapp
eale0003-01/Notification%20of%20withdrawal%20of%20Air
%20Emissions%20Licence.pdf
Confidential Information GMO Contained Use
This guidance document sets out the procedure for submitting confidential
information to the EPA under Article 9 of the GMO (Contained Use) Regulations
2001 to 2010.
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/gmo/confidentialinformationgmocont
aineduse.html
Annual Report Form for the Contained Use of GMOs (i.e. GM Animals)
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/forms/lic/gmo/annualreportformgmanimals.html

Confidential Information GMO Deliberate Release

Summary:Thisguidancedocumentsetsouttheprocedureforsubmittingconfidentialinformationto
theEPAunderArticle10oftheGMO(DeliberateRelease)RegulationsS.I.No.500of2003.

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/gmo/confidentialinformationgmodeli
beraterelease.html
Genetically Modified (GM) Petunia T he Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) suspects that Irish plant growers / nurseries
may have unwittingly purchased GM petunia varieties
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/gmo/gmonotices/Information_Notic
e_GM_petuniaV4.pdf
EPA submission on the Draft National Mitigation Plan and associated SEA
Environmental Report
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/epasub/EPA_Submission_National
%20Mitigation%20Plan_26_04_17.pdf
Air Pollution Appeals Judicial Review Notice
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/licensee/APA_JudicialReviewNotice.
pdf
Co-benefits for Water and Biodiversity from the Sustainable Management of
High Nature Value Farmland
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/water/EPA%20RR
%20209_webEssentra.pdf
Health and Water Quality Impacts Arising from Land Spreading of Biosolids

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/land/EPA%20RR
%20200_web%20Essentra.pdf

Insurance Documents

Summary:ThisdocumentsupplementstheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyGuidanceonfinancial
provisionforenvironmentalliabilities(EPA,2015),inparticularinrelationtotherequirementsfor
environmentalimpairmentliabilityinsurance

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/licensee/fptemplatesassociateddocu
ments/insurance/Addendum%20re%20EIL%20insurance.pdf

The EPA has been alerted to the unauthorised sale of GM Zebrafish (Danio
rerio)in Denmark. The import and trade of GM zebrafish into the EU and the
Republic
Vigilance with regard to the illegal import of GM
zebrafish
Danio reriointo the EU and the Republic of Ireland.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
responsible for the regulation of Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs) in
Ireland under two pieces of legislation
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/gmo/gmonotices/Information
%20Notice%20-%20GM%20zebrafish.pdf
We also request that wholesalers make overseas
suppliers aware of the unauthorised status of GM
ornamental fish in the EU
as well as in the Republic of Ireland
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/gmo/gmonotices/Information
%20Notice%20-%20GM%20zebrafish.pdf
Draft Guidelines on the information to be contained in Environmental Impact
Assessment Report (EIAR
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/ea/Draft%20Guidelines%20on%20information
%20to%20be%20contained%20in%20EIAR.pdf

Directive2014/52/EUoftheEuropean
ParliamentandoftheCouncilof16April2014amendingDirective
2011/92/EUonthe
assessmentoftheeffectsofcertainpublicandprivateprojectsonthe
environment.
ThepublicationofthedraftGuidelinesistimedtofollowthe
deadlineofthe16May2017

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:52012PC0628&from=EN

EUontheassessmentoftheeffectsofcertainpublicand
privateprojectsontheenvironment

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:52012SC0355&from=EN

2012/0297(COD) - 09/10/2013 Text adopted by Parliament, partial vote

at 1st reading/single reading

The European Parliament adopted amendments (339 votes to 293 with 28

abstentions) to the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the
Council amending Directive 2011/92/EU of the assessment of the effects of
certain public and private projects on the environment.

The matter had been sent back to the competent committee for re-consideration.
The vote was put back to a later session.

The main amendments adopted in plenary were as follows:

Projects: Parliament specified that projects within the meaning of the directive
meant interventions in the natural surroundings and landscape including those
involving the research and extraction of mineral resources.

The definition of development consent' was clarified to state that it means the
decision of the competent authority or authorities that entitles the developer
to start the project.
Shale gas: Members proposed to include in the list of made subject to
environmental impact assessment exploration and hydraulic fracturing
extraction activities for non-conventional hydrocarbons (shale gas and oil, tight
gas, coal bed methane), regardless of the amount extracted.

Conflict of interest: in the light of experience acquired in certain Member States,

Parliament proposed to insert specific to avoid the conflict of interest that can
arise between the developer of a project that is subject to environmental impact
assessment and the competent authorities. In particular, the competent
authorities should not also be the developer nor in any way be dependent on,
linked to or subordinate to the developer.

Checking reports: the amendments proposed aim to ensure that the persons
who check the environmental reports have, due to their qualifications and
experience, the necessary technical expertise to carry out the tasks set out in
Directive 2011/92/EU in a scientifically objective manner and in total
independence from the developer and the competent authorities themselves.

Public participation: Members adopted amendments to ensure that the public

would be informed and consulted. The public should have the contact
information of and easy and quick access to the authority or authorities
responsible for performing the duties arising from the directive. Due attention
must be paid to the comments made and opinions expressed by the public.

With a view to strengthening public access and transparency, a central portal

providing timely environmental information with regard to the implementation
of this Directive electronically should be made available in each Member State.

Cross-border projects: Member States and neighbouring countries involved

shall take all measures necessary to ensure that respective competent authorities
cooperate in order to provide jointly for one integrated and coherent cross-
border environmental impact assessment from an early planning stage.

In the case of projects that could have cross-border effects on the environment,
the Member States concerned should set up, on the basis of equal representation,
a joint liaison body responsible for dealing with all the stages in the procedure.
The consent of all the Member States concerned should be required for final
authorisation of the project.

Penalties: Member States will lay down the rules on penalties applicable to
infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant to the directive. The
penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/printsummary.pdf?
id=1317313&l=en&t=D
European Parliament and of the Council amending
Directive
2011/92/EU of the assessment of the effects of
certain public and private projects on the
environment 2012/02
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+TA+P7-
TA-2013-0413+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN
Assessment of the effects of certain public
and private projects on the
environment
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+TA+P7-
TA-2014-0225+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN

Directive 2014/52/EU amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the

effects of certain public and private projects on the environment 1 Checklist for
transposition
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/pdf/transposition_checklist.pdf
Communication from the Commission EU law: Better results through
better application
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:52017XC0119(01)&from=EN
RIODECLARATIONONENVIRONMENTANDDEVELOPMENT
TheUnitedNationsConferenceonEnvironmentand
Development,
HavingmetatRiodeJaneirofrom3to14June1992,
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/aconf15126-1annex1.htm
PROTOCOLONSTRATEGICENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENTTOTHECONVENTIONONENVIRO
NMENTALIMPACTASSESSMENT
INATRANSBOUNDARYCONTEXT
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/eia/documents/legaltexts/protocolenglis
h.pdf

Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on

Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Kyiv, 2003)

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/eia/documents/legaltexts/protocolenglis
h.pdf

introduction to the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/eia/documents/pamphlets/Pamphlet
%20-%20SEA%20Protocol%20Implementation.pdf

An Assessment of the 1995 Drought Including a comparison with other known

drought years
rainfall pattern and low river flows that were recorded at selected rainfall and
hydrometric stations in 1995 and compares them to the rainfall pattern and low
river flows that occured in the drought year 1976
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/water/flows/EPA_Assessment_of_1995_Drought2.p
df

Hydrological Data - A listing of water level recorders and summary statistics

at selected gauging stations
A listing of water level recorders and summary statistics at selected gauging
stations
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/water/flows/Hydrological%20Data%20Book
%201995.pdf

Publications List for January 2017

Summary:Thisisafulllist,includingprices,ofallpublicationsavailablefromtheEPAinJanuary
2017.

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/other/corporate/occs/pubslist/January%202017%20Publications
%20List%20landscape_with%20links.pdf

The EU deconstructed Manifesto EU union movement under siege. elected to

defeat Irish water
http://www.manifestopress.org.uk/images/pdf/the_EU_deconstru
cted.pdf