Sir, – Olivia Kelly (Front page, December 17th) reports on Dublin City Council manager Owen Keegan’s concerns about the proposed agreement with Irish Water.
This agreement apparently obliges Dublin Council to provide water services to Irish Water for the next 12 years. Surely, if this new company, Irish Water, is being set up to manage the collection, purification, and delivery of water across the country then it should do precisely what it “says on the tin”.
Irish Water should be taking total control of all water-related assets/liabilities, staff, pension funds, and HR functions, and if any council is out of pocket it should be compensated by the exchequer.
Finally, there is no point in spending taxpayers’ money purifying water when approximately 40 per cent leaks into the ground. Therefore, before any water meters are installed, the water collection and delivery systems will have to be upgraded. Otherwise, these systems will continue to limp along, and the only difference in the future will be Irish Water will blame the councils, and the councils will blame Irish Water. – Yours, etc,
MIKE CORMACK,
Ardagh Close,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.