Recovery put at risk by water debacle

The Government has made a dog’s dinner out of the water issue, of that there can be little doubt. 

Effectively, our wise leaders have sought to amalgamate the water services of over 30 local authorities into a single company. This is a gargantuan task that one would expect to take up to five years to complete in a proper manner. Instead, it has been rushed through in a little over 18 months, and it shows every sign of being such a rushed and botched job.

Massive uncertainty and fear has been created over what the charges might be; there is no transparency for households regarding how meters can be and might be read (unlike the ESB meter); and the terms and conditions put in place for staff in the new company represent an absolute PR nightmare in an environment where workers who pay tax have been screwed into the ground since 2008.