Taoiseach defends metering policy as bill passes Seanad

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended Irish Water’s metering programme despite officials from Ervia questioning the need to spend €540m on rolling out meters to the country’s 1.5m homes.

Mr Kenny’s robust defence of the utility company (formerly Bord Gáis Eireann) came as the Oireachtas passed all stages of the revised Water Services Bill with a vote in the Seanad.

The bill now goes to President Michael D Higgins to sign into law in a timeline designed to allow for charges to kick in from January 1.

Speaking on local radio yesterday, Mr Kenny said water meters are necessary to identify leaks and to encourage water conservation. His comments followed weekend reports that officials from Ervia had questioned the policy of installing water meters at the time charges were to be introduced.

“It is not true to say that water meters are not required,” he said, adding that he hoped people will continue to register with Irish Water and believes the revised water charges are “very affordable”.

Mr Kenny also questioned the motives behind some of those involved in the protests against water charges and the installation of meters.

“What you saw on the streets in some cases has little to do with Irish Water, or little to do with water or little to do with contributions.”

His comments came as leading water charges protester and TD Paul Murphy hit out at Tánaiste Joan Burton for describing those involved in trapping her in her car last month as “fascists”.

Mr Murphy, speaking on RTÉ radio, claimed that six gardaí are currently assigned to try to “pin charges” on those involved in the incident in which Ms Burton was trapped in her car for over two hours.

“There’s apparently six gardaí working full-time in Tallaght trying to find charges to pin on people, in particular on me, in a way to damage the anti-water protesters. Let’s see the charges,” he said.

Mr Murphy also defended comments he made in which he said he was elected to break the law. “I think it’s self-evidentially true, to be honest. I stood on a platform of civil disobedience, on calling people to boycott the water charges en masse.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has organised the signing of a petition among legislators asking Mr Higgins not to sign the Water Services Bill into law. The move came ahead of six hours of debate in the Seanad yesterday before the bill passed all stages of the Oireachtas, with a final vote of 28 to 25.

The sitting was marked by some heated debate and two suspensions before passing the final stages of the bill at 6pm yesterday.

A number of proposed amendments were defeated, which negated any requirement to recall the Dáil for a final vote today.