Sir, – I was greatly relieved to learn that Phil Hogan does not micro-manage Irish Water (Home News, January 15th). – Yours, etc,
PAT Mc GLYNN,
Grange Park,
Baldoyle, Dublin 13.
Sir, – It would appear that Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan’s definition of “micro” in terms of project management is under €200 million. It would be interesting to know at what level a project becomes “macro” and attracting of his attention. – Yours, etc,
DONAL MORRISSY,
Ballyvaughan Co Clare.
Sir, – Labels on bottled water proudly declare “0 calories”. As every schoolboy/girl knows, a calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. Why is it that the Energy Regulator is involved in setting a rate for what is currently being called a “scarce resource”? Water is available in vast quantities year round in this country yet, though vital to sustain life, our clowns in Leinster House seem determined to trick the citizens into believing it’s an energy and a scarce one too!
Hands up anyone who’s surprised at the latest round of “let’s fool the people again”! Please, a Thaoisigh, stop this juggernaut of Irish Water immediately before it runs away with us all; give the local authorities the money instead and make them get on with their job of providing the basic necessity for life to our impoverished people. Even juggernauts are capable of executing a U-turn. – Yours, etc,
LAURENCE HOGAN,
Braemor Grove,
Churchtown, Dublin 14.
Sir, – Thank you, Fintan O'Toole (Opinion, January 14th) for making it all clear. The Irish miracle is turning water into, not wine, but gravy. I am tempted to invoke Jesus! – Yours, etc,
DAVID BEST,
Leinster Road West,
Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Sir, – The water meter will be for the greater part redundant once I start collecting the rain water from the roof. With last year’s average rainfall of more than 1200mm it would be unsustainable for this quango Irish Water to exist – if everyone joined the club. – Yours, etc,
IAN HESTER,
Four Mile House,
Roscommon.
Sir, – In view of recent events, could we request that board members of Irish Water are formally prohibited from topping up their tanks? Thanks. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KIRWAN,
Georgian Village,
Castleknock, Dublin 15.
Sir, – The Minister knew the “ballpark” figures but was not aware of the minutiae. €50 million is some minutiae. Oh and poor Fergus O’ Dowd only heard about the €50 million on the radio. Are they both in need of a consultant? – Yours, etc,
PAUL KAVANAGH,
Croydon Park Avenue,
Marino,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – It seems to be a tradition that each political party in government bequeaths us a bloated, unfit for purpose, money-guzzling quango, stuffed with insiders. Fianna Fáil gave us Fás; the PDs lumbered us with the HSE; and now Fine Gael has contributed An Bórd Uisce – or whatever it’s called – which rather appropriately has begun to soak up the taxpayers’ money even before it came into existence. – Yours, etc,
ADRIAN J ENGLISH,
Kilcolman Court,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The high set-up costs of the so-called “Irish Water”, and the lack of State oversight, are just signs of things to come, if we continue on this route.
This process was initiated as a commitment in the EU-IMF bailout programme. Why did the troika insist on water charges in Ireland? This was not to save water or to save money for the Irish citizens, but to lead to a sell-off to the highest bidder.
Water is an increasingly competitive global business, with a few major players (in particular those based in France, Germany and England). The IMF, ECB and EC were acting in the interests of this “industry”; the IMF has pursued similar water sell-offs around the world.
The start of the process is to condition people into the idea that we should pay for our water through a separate agency. How many TDs have told us recently that “people elsewhere in the EU pay for their water”, while ignoring the fact that we already pay for our water through our taxes?
Also, those European companies where water is already privatised, do not present a good argument for a move away from State control of this national asset. For example, in Britain, privatisation has led to little improvement in infrastructure and no significant decrease in water wastage, but with considerably increased costs for the citizens.
We are now spending a vast amount of our money to sell off our own resource. The same money would be better used to upgrade our infrastructure, for all our benefit. It is time to say stop. – Yours, etc,
ROY PALMER,
Moycullen,
Co Galway.
Sir, – It appears there’s a drip-drip approach to revelations concerning the workings of Irish Water. – Yours, etc,
FIONNUALA WALSH,
St Mary’s Terrace,
Galway.
Sir, – Regarding Phil Hogan’s recent statements: first, micro-managing is getting involved in day-to-day company decisions. Studying and understanding company accounts, investments and major expenditure is not micro-managing but what a responsible majority shareholder does.
Second, regulators have to authorise all expenditure which the regulated companies pass on to their customers. Given that the regulator must be already familiar with Irish Water’s accounts, asking the regulator to examine the expenditure is not a meaningful action by Mr Hogan but buck-passing and procrastinating.
Third, in a radio interview, the only concrete explanation offered by John Tierney for the €50 million spent on consultancy was the need for a customer system and an asset management system. These IT tools are used by utilities all over the developed world since the 1980s or 1990s. Vendors sell their products off the shelf after some customisation to adapt them to the customer’s concrete requirements. The need for any great amount of advance consultancy for this purpose needs a lot more explanation than has been given.
The new practice of privatising companies, heretofore considered natural monopolies, has led to a whole army of regulators and consultants, the result of which has been to push up prices, reduce services, create a new caste of very well paid managers and eliminate political responsibility because ministers can point to regulators as the decision-makers.
Paraphrasing the musical signature of the Dad’s Army series, whom do you think you’re kidding Mr Hogan? – Yours, etc,
JOE MARSÁ,
Sandycove Road,
Sandycove, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Why don’t Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore declare Phil Hogan to be a member of Fianna Fáil so that they, as usual, can say it’s all its fault? – Yours, etc,
DAVID MURNANE,
Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
Sir, – In relation to Irish Water, Minister of the Environment Phil Hogan states quite correctly that one can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs. But one does not have to shell out €50 million to do so successfully. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN O’DONOGHUE,
Straboe,
Killerig, Carlow.