MEPs: Government can waive school water charges

THE Government is not obliged to charge schools for water, the European Commission and a number of MEPs have insisted.

The Dáil could bring in a simple amendment to waive water charges on schools on foot of asking the EU for a derogation, it has emerged.

But instead of doing this, the Fianna Fáil-led government is blaming Brussels for something it agreed to and is trying to escape responsibility for its actions, MEPs say.

Two MEPs, Proinsias De Rossa and Mairead McGuinness, accused the Government of scapegoating the EU and refusing to admit that it agreed to introduce the charges as part of the Water Framework Directive in 2000.

Ireland already has a derogation from charging for water used by people in their homes and could have extended this to schools when it negotiated the directive, said Mr de Rossa.

“There is simply no justification in EU law for the Government’s refusal to waive water charges on schools. Indeed, article 9 of the Water Framework Directive 2000 makes absolutely plain that a general exemption from water charging is allowed if alternative ways are put in place to achieve the objectives of clean water and water conservation by 2015.

“Rather, it is the Irish Government’s own regulations made in December 2003, which the Dáil can amend if given the opportunity, where the school water charges have arisen,” he said.

Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for the European Environment Commissioner, confirmed this was the case. “The Irish Government could ask for a derogation but they will need to justify it.”

Ms McGuinness, Fine Gael, told the parliament, “This is something they agreed to in 2000 and, instead of preparing for it, the Government kept it a secret, have not said what it would mean and did not make any preparations for its introduction and is now trying to shift the blame to the EU.”

Labour’s Mr de Rossa accused the Government of deliberately setting out falsely to blame Brussels for their own decisions and said it was not the first time.

“For instance, they recently claimed EU regulations prevented Ireland from reducing VAT on condoms from the luxury rate of 21% to the minimum of 5% as a means of helping to fight HIV/Aids. The UK has done precisely that and is fully compliant with EU law on VAT.”

“Similarly, the Government recently blamed European Competition law for denying pharmacists the right to negotiate collectively. In fact, this is an interpretation of Irish competition law, not EU law, as confirmed recently by the ECJ.

“It is hard to fathom how the Government parties can be so cavalier with the reputation of Europe as we face a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Are they so out of touch that they don’t realise that, if they unfairly paint EU as a bully, this will feed into public attitudes on the Treaty?”

Both MEPs raised the issue in the European Parliament at the opening of the plenary session in Strasbourg last night.