Softly, softly policies on water have failed

NO issue has done more to undermine the credibility of our political system than the never-ending farce around water charges. No issue has done more to dissuade, competent, energetic and patriotic people from becoming involved in politics. 

The issue is that toxic, and its legacy may not be fully understood for maybe a decade. And, if the crass, dishonest behaviour of recent days, weeks, months and years continues it is unlikely that the issue of how we maintain water services will be resolved even in that time-frame.

Ever since Irish Water was presented to the country by its chief architect Phil Hogan, the project has been mired in controversy, poor planning, excess, plain old-fashioned ineptitude, and shameless political opportunism. How pleased the ennobled Mr Hogan must be that he can now dedicate himself to international affairs rather than have to get down and dirty in this little domestic squabble. If we valued accountability, Mr Hogan would not have escaped the consequences of his water charges performance.

The latest donnybrook involves Minister Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil’s chief blowhard Barry Cowen. Fine Gael will examine if penalties for excessive water usage might satisfy European law and Fianna Fáil has agreed to amend legislation to include an allowance which could be categorised as excessive usage.

In a normal world, that might represent progress but, as its record shows, Fianna Fáil will quickly drop that idea if another one, no matter how bizarre or contradictory, looks as if it might offer an electoral advantage. Even by that party’s standards its lack of consistency, its calculated opportunism on water is a shameful progenitor of deep cynicism.

However, the party’s officer class and grassroots will sneer at such a charge, as they always do, and point to the opinion polls that show that they are gathering more and more support. If the establishment of Irish Water represents a high water mark in inept public administration those polls must represent a high water mark in that great, recurring national affliction — our collective, self-destructive amnesia.

Sadly, the public, the people who just want to do their day’s work, look after their families and live in a decent, functioning society, are again caught in the barren no-man’s land between Fianna Fáil’s ideological flexibility and Fine Gael’s fuddy-duddy aversion to confrontation even if right is on their side — and in this instance right is on their side.

Just as negotiations to form this Government began last year, 61% of households had paid water charges. This ratio is a landslide compared to the 52:48 split that provoked Brexit or the margin that gave America President Trump. That 61% figure gives the lie to the guff about the majority of Dáil members being opposed to water charges because that oposition is based on political expediency and cowardice rather than the idea that the near two-thirds majority should be supported for recognising that we have to, one way or another, pay for water. It is beyond time this issue was finalised and if than means confrontation with the hey-hey-we-won’t-pay minority so be it. Preferably, before the taps run dry.