Coveney’s system will be more of the same

IT never ceases to annoy me when I read utterances of political precariousness, made by people whom I would have adjudicated as informed.

Reading the concluding two paragraphs of the item on page two, Irish Examiner on January 1, and I quote, “Households urged to continue saving water”, Simon Coveney TD was highly critical of the high number of local authorities, each with its own water management system.

FG, he says, will set up a new water company to take charge of the national water network, to make it more efficient and cost effective. That brings the following questions to mind.

1. Is he hinting at privatisation?

2. Will this be a Dublin 4-based organisation?

3. How transparent will be the make-up of the organisation?

4. Would we have heard anything of this if we didn’t have these current arctic aquatic activities, manifest in our midst and a General Election in the offing?

I wish to remind Mr Coveney that he seems to have forgotten one very fundamental fact. No matter who or what administers the national water network, it will continue to be “more of the same” until our archaic and antiquated piping, pumping and storage systems have been totally replaced/upgraded as is required, from 19th century structures to 21st century standards.

Patrick J Connolly

Mallow

Co Cork