Sinn Féin: ‘No refunds if we axe Irish Water’

Sinn Féin has insisted it will not refund those who have paid their water charges despite the party’s pledge to scrap the controversial utility if elected — telling bill payers “there is nothing we would be doing in government” to ensure they do not lose out.

The party’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty also said it is not “hypocritical” for people opposed to the water charges taking the €100 conservation charge, despite criticising Irish Water for wasting taxpayers’ money and saying his party has no plans to recoup the fund if it abolishes charges.

The Donegal South West TD made the comments at an event to promote tomorrow’s Right2Water protest in Dublin and after a questionnaire of all parties published in Monday’s Irish Examiner found Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil will not refund payers if elected.

Asked if the decision not to refund bill payers effectively punishes people twice for simply complying with the law — once for the charges and then a second time for leaving them out of pocket despite the utility being wound up — Mr Doherty said it is not his party’s problem.

“It’s people’s own personal choice whether they want to pay water charges or not. Those who have decided themselves to pay their water charges, then there is nothing we would be doing in government to refund them the water charges that have been paid,” he said.

He also confirmed this is Sinn Féin’s policy on the “household charge”, as it “simply wouldn’t be possible to refund people even if you wanted to do it”— a position mirrored by Fianna Fáil.

The issue is expected to come under significant scrutiny in the lead-up to the general election, alongside all opposition parties’ plans not to seek the return of the €100 conservation grant despite warning it is a waste of money.

When asked if non-payers opposed to Irish Water are being hypocritical if they take the grant, Mr Doherty said it is currently every registered customer’s right under the law.

“Is it hypocritical? Not at all. Anything they [people] can do to put pressure on the Irish Government to abolish Irish Water then they should do that, within their legal peaceful means. If that includes [taking] the €100 they’re supposedly entitled to, then why not do that?” he said.

The comments came as Right2Water campaigners called for tomorrow’s anti-Irish Water march to act as a “mass protest in defence” of 23 people facing criminal charges over last November’s Jobstown controversy.

Speaking at the same event, Socialist/Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy — who also said protesters are “entitled” to seek the conservation grant and “I see no reason why they wouldn’t take the €100” — said gardaí have yet to contact anyone involved in the case.

Paul Murphy TD

Responding to questions over the controversy, which saw Tánaiste Joan Burton trapped in a car for a number of hours, the Dublin South West TD — who is one of the 23 facing charges — said there has been “no communication from the gardaí or DPP”.

Mr Murphy said the only contact since news of the charges emerged a fortnight ago was a statement he gave to gardaí accusing an unknown party of “a criminal offence” in leaking the planned moves.

He said tomorrow’s protest, which begins at 2pm at Heuston and Connolly stations, should be “a mass protest in defence of the right to protest”.

Meanwhile, Right2Water campaigners have insisted there is nothing inappropriate with its slogan “we haven’t gone away, you know” in a week dominated by claims the Provisional IRA still exists.

Mr Doherty and a Right2Water spokesperson rejected criticism, stressing the slogan relates to previous government claims the campaign is losing public appeal and is not intended to echo Gerry Adams’ infamous 1990s comment about the paramilitary group.