Sir, - Everybody is talking about water charges and, as usual, the politicians have jumped on the bandwagon and are blowing the whole thing up in order to use it to their own political advantage. Could I suggest that we all pause for a moment. Take a deep breath. Think. Call a spade a spade. Call the recently abolished "water charges" by their real name rates.
Why rates? Well, up until recently I owned and lived alone in a 1,000 square feet apartment in south County Dublin. But I had to pay higher "water charges" than my brother in law, who had a big four bedroom house and a family of seven living in it. Why did I have to pay more? Because the rateable valuation of my apartment was higher than that of the house!
These so called "water charges" were just a device for the hard pressed county managers to raise extra cash, most recently in Fingal County. The charges have nothing to do with water, but could not be called rates for political reasons. So now these rates have finally been abolished and we have a level playing field. Some politicians are proposing that the Government takes over the rural water schemes or compensates the users, at considerable cost. Who is going to end up paying for this? The taxpayers in the cities, as usual. Any party which implements this crazy idea and takes away what we have only recently got back should take note that it is unlikely to get my vote.
Yours etc.
South Hill
Dublin 13