The price of water

Sir, – Irish Water is out of its depth. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL O’DONNELL,

Whitehall,

Dublin 9.

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Sir, – Was this bonus business taken into account when calculating the average water charge?

Can the Taoiseach now quantify for us how much we all will be paying, on average, to cover the cost of these bonuses?

I don’t mind paying for a water supply but I strongly object to having to pay for bungling and featherbedding. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL STUART,

Malahide,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – So people on the Rental Accommodation Scheme are to be threatened with eviction for not paying water charges and inevitable call-out fees they can’t afford? That’s another 36,000-plus votes not going to the Government in the next general election. – Yours, etc,

EILEEN O’SULLIVAN,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – The new water tax is not just about the supply and disposal of public water but is yet another Government-supplied gravy train for private individuals. Why are these people to be paid annual bonuses? Why isn’t every working man and woman on similar payouts? Because employers can’t afford them, that’s why. As a taxpayer I cannot afford to pay either the salaries or the bonuses of the new Irish Water staff. That’s that sorted then. – Yours, etc,

DONAL CARLIN,

Ballyconnell,

Co Cavan.

Sir, – Bonuses for doing what you’re paid for? Gosh! – Yours etc,

CATHERINE DRAPER,

Avoca,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – I have finally figured out how this water company is to work. First we have always paid for it though general taxation, but it leaks. So now, we are to pay a second tax to pay for the leaks. However, then, if we get a leak, we have to pay again (call-out charge) to fix the leak.

As a wise man once wrote, “it’s a great little country”. – Yours, etc,

BRENDAN OGLE,

Dublin 1.

Sir, – One of the strongest points in favour of the water charges is that it will put a stop to the gallop of the wasters.

We have all heard the stories about people who leave their taps running so that the pipes won’t freeze and who lavish water on the garden, washing cars, etc, etc.

I am surprised at how badly this is explained. I am also surprised that the question is never put to the anti-charges people, “How would you deal with this awful waste?”

Already I find myself cutting down on the use of water in many different ways.

I wonder what people will think of us in a hundred years when they are told that we flushed our toilets with expensively purified water. – Yours, etc,

JJ O’REILLY,

Ballinteer,

Dublin16.