TDs urged to press for abolition of Irish Water

Elected members associated with the Right2Water campaign group will be urged to put down a motion calling for the abolition of Irish Water within 100 days of the new Dáil.

A public meeting on Tuesday will also call on TDs to replace the utility with a new national authority.

The Right2Change group will seek the support of members from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, AAA-PBP, and Independents when the Dáil returns on Thursday.

Campaign spokesman Brendan Ogle said the motion — which will be launched at Buswells Hotel in Dublin — was designed to hold successful politicians to their election campaign promises to remove Irish Water.

The three-part motion will include calls for Irish Water to be scrapped within 100 days of the new Dáil and replaced with a single national authority, while a constitutional referendum will also be sought.

While the motion is certain to receive backing from AAA-PBP’s six TDs, Sinn Féin’s 23, and a large number of the 23 Independents now elected, it is also believed to be designed to put pressure on Fianna Fáil, which is seeking a deferral of water charges for five years instead of abolition.

Despite Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil attempts to downplay disagreement over Irish Water, the issue is a key stumbling block to power.

The European Commission would back a deferral provided a commitment is made to impose the fees later.

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