Concerns over ‘charge first, correct later’ water charges
If Irish Water ends up absorbing most of the revenue raised by charges, public fury will reach new heights.
It’s worth pointing out that farm families have been subjected to very high water charges for many years as non-domestic water users.
ICMSA’s dairy farmer members are becoming concerned that these charges will continue to escalate if Irish Water and the Government do not establish an appropriate and reasonable pricing policy structure and communicate that price structure to the public in a timely and transparent manner.
More than one commentator has noted the disconnect that seems to be growing between the public and its administrations, whether of the EU or national variety, and the chaos around the introduction of water charges brought that disconnect into stark relief.
The establishment of Irish Water and the extension of charges to all households should result in economies of scale and a consequent reduction in the charges paid by farmers. But that doesn’t appear to be even a possibility and we’re starting to have serious concerns regarding the current policy direction.
That policy could be described as a “charge first — correct later” policy where we see significant investment in meter installation while — at the same time — in excess of 40%of water treated is lost in leakage.
That kind of inefficiency must not be allowed to continue and all consumers — farm families included — must demand that investment in the water system begins immediately and that we are not left with a situation where the charges are ‘sucked up’ by the quango charged with overseeing the system.
The suspicion is that is precisely where we are headed and that suspicion was not allayed by the excessive sums handed over to consultants, revealed earlier this year.
That growing sense of disconnect is not confined to the relationship between the public and our national government. The news that the EU intends fining the State an as yet undecided, sum in relation to LPIS issues illustrates the “falling out of love” that now characterises the feelings of much of the Irish public towards the EU.
If there are any observers who are still puzzled as to why we are beginning to see anti-EU sentiments pick up pace all over Europe and gain ground in this country, a quick study of the events around the levying of these latest fines will tell them everything they need to know.
Many farmers have already paid a very heavy price in relation to the LPIS review in terms of financial penalties and reduced land areas and believe that once the applications were accepted by the Department for the year in question, that retrospective changes should not occur.
As we move into the new system of CAP payments, it is imperative that greater clarity is brought to what constitutes eligible land and that Government departments adopt a consistent approach in relation to this matter.
We are entitled surely to fairness and consistency in regulations and the sense that the money we are paying in something like water charges is actually going towards the rectification of the problem we were told existed and not disappearing into some administrative ether.
