Irish Water claim staff blockaded by

protesters
Friday, September 23, 2016
Joe Leogue

Irish Water has contacted garda over an alleged incident

in which it claims protesters blocked a metering team from
leaving a filling station in Cork.

The utility claims that a group of four people prevented

the metering team from leaving the filling station near
Cork University Hospital and detained the workers for
half an hour.
A caller to 96FMs Opinion Line said the incident took
place at Casement Park on Glasheen Road.
However the caller, who identified himself as Tony, said
that he was one of a group who politely approached the
driver to ask if they were installing meters in the area.
We went over and politely asked him if he was putting in
meters, and your man revved up the truck [and] drove the
truck at us, the caller alleged.
I have been part of this water campaign since the start
and we have never used any violence against these Irish
Water people, we might have a bit of banter with them
and a chat, but weve never used any violence and I want
to make that very, very clear, the caller said.

He denied that the group blocked the van.

We went over to have a conversation with the driver, he
said, and claimed that one worker shouted obscenities at
the group.
In a statement to the Irish Examiner, Irish Water said it is
aware of an incident on Wednesday morning where
members of our metering team were blockaded from
exiting from the vicinity of a filling station close to CUH by
four persons.
The personnel were detained for approximately 30
minutes. The matter has been reported to An Garda
Sochna, the statement read.
It's a case of hearsay..
Now I ask you, in light of the ongoing "false imprisonment"
case being leveled at a 17 year old WATER PROTESTER, is
it feasible that four, yes FOUR WATER PROTESTERS are
also being accused of something similar that isn't real?
Who do you believe?
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irish-water-claim-staffblockaded-by-protesters-422418.html

21 September 2016
Two of our Water Warriors in their 70s Physically and Verbally
Assaulted by Irish Water Meter Installers Glasheen Cork.
This morning 21/9/2016 @ approximately 9am four members of our
Rapid Response Team were on patrol around Glasheen.At the
request of some of the Residents , two approached an Irish Water
Van parked at the bus stop by the green on Glasheen Road Cork to
speak to the driver As this was taking place a second IW Truck
parked behind the first , The driver of this truck got out approached
our team from the rear screaming obscenities and PUSHED !! One of
them in front of the leading Van shouting " Drive Over Them" Drive
Over Them !!!The driver of the Van started Revving the engine and
DROVE AT !! our Two Warriors. who were inches away.Both of these
Water Warriors are in their 70s !!!! One a Great Grandad. Of the 4
Warriors present 2 have disabilities....While we of

Ballyphehane/Southparish Togher says No have Always !! kept our

Protest Peaceful..!! The same cannot be said for those assisting Irish
Water installing their Electromagnetic meters where they are not
wanted. The Disgraceful, Unwarranted and Violent behaviour of
these Irish Water Workers was uncalled for.We will always Endeavour
to be peaceful and respectful to all parties. WE WILL NOT !! tolerate
any member of our team or Any !!water protester been assaulted
verbally or physically . Irish Water and Its agents be warned !!!
SHAME ON YOU.

Irish Water to get 660m bailout

Irish Water will get a 660m bailout this year but a
decision to suspend water charges could have big
consequences for funding other services next year, warns
Housing Minister Simon Coveney.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
By Juno McEnroe
Political Correspondent

His suggestion was backed by Public Expenditure Minister

Paschal Donohoe who said funding for Irish Water would
compete with other demands such as housing.
The pre-budget cautions put Fine Gael directly at odds
with Fianna Fil, which wants water charges suspended
indefinitely. Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday accused
Fianna Fil of a reversal to old-school populism in
insisting water charges not be reintroduced.

Funding for Irish Water is being considered by a

commission on water charges, due to report in November.
Mr Coveney said the 2017 position on funding for Irish
Water is dependent on what the commission and a followup Dil committee conclude.
It had been planned that the subvention, or bailout, for
Irish Water would be 479m. Irish Water estimates its
shortfall from water charges to be 181m for this year.
This brings the total subvention needed for Irish Water this
year to 660m, Mr Coveney told the Oireachtas housing
committee.
The 181m shortfall will be plugged by the 110m that
was to go to the water conservation grant, a 58m loan to
Irish Water, and another 13m still to be found.
Mr Coveney said the 110m from the conservation grant
would not be there next year. Lets be honest about this,
if the Oireachtas decides to do away with water charges,
then we still need to progress and deliver on the
significant capital expenditure programme that Irish Water
needs to deliver on, he said.
That will have to come through other revenue raising and
presumably general taxation, which then limits our ability
to spend in other areas and also undermines the water
conservation incentive that comes with having some link
between what people pay and how much they use, never
mind all the issues around water directives.
Funding for Irish Water will be discussed when the
commission reports and in the context of the budget, the
committee was told.
Mr Coveney said: But the choices we make have
consequences, big consequences, because regardless of
what way you cut it, we have to invest billions of euros
over the next five years in water infrastructure and it has
got to be paid for. The only question we have to decide is,
do we pay for that through general taxation; do we pay for
it through a combination of general taxation and direct
charging that tries to incentivise conservation and water
management; or do we go back to a previous charging
system?
He added: There is a big cost if we decide not to have
revenue stream coming from water provision to domestic
houses. There are big consequences in terms of the flow of

money in and out of government.

Separately, Mr Coveney warned local authorities not to
expect the Government to pick up the tab if they reduce
property taxes next year. Some 16 councils cut rates last
year and 11 had done so this year, he said.
The warning on water was also made by Mr Donohoe,
when he told a separate committee about budget
preparations. Water treatment coming directly from
general taxation would directly compete with other
needs including housing, he said.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irish-water-to-get-660mbailout-422244.html

Irish Water has pleaded guilty to failing to implement a

plan to improve drinking water quality in Carraroe, Co
Galway.

For drinking water to be safe, there should be no more

than 100mg of THMs per litre. The levels in the water in
Carraroe were in excess.
It was ordered to give 3,000 to charity to avoid a criminal
conviction.
The company is being prosecuted by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) over a delay in completing a 1m
project to deal with a water quality problem in Carraroe.
Earlier this year, residents in the Connemara village
received boil water notices.
The prosecution was listed before Judge John ONeill

yesterday at Dublin District Court.

Irish Water pleaded guilty to charges under the EU
(drinking water) regulations that, between December 1,
2015, and January 8, 2016, it failed to comply with a
directive issued by the EPA to implement an action
programme approved by the agency for the improvement
of the quality of water for human consumption from
Carraroe public water supply, to react to parametric
values specified for trihalomethanes (THMs).
THMs are a group of organic chemicals formed when
chlorine is used to disinfect water and reacts with
naturally occurring organic matter in raw water.
An action plan had been approved by the EPA on
September 9, 2014, but the required work was not
completed by Irish Water until this year.
Maeve Larkin, prosecuting, said the offence can carry a
class A fine of 5,000.
Darragh Page, a senior inspector with the EPA, told the
court that for drinking water to be safe, there should be no
more than 100mg of THMs per litre. Tests indicated the
levels in the water in Carraroe were in excess.
There had been an elevated level for several years until
recently, he said.
He agreed with Ms Larkin that the solution was to pre-treat
the water using filtration to take out colour or organic
matter before using chlorine so by-product THMs are not
formed.
An action plan was agreed with Irish Water but it was not
fully complied with until this year, the court heard. In
January, five weeks after the deadline, Mr Page visited the
treatment plant and saw it had been unchanged and the
level of THMs still exceeded the standards expected.
The court heard that Irish Water had no prior criminal
convictions.
Judge ONeill said it was not right that Irish Water took for
granted that there would not be planning permission
difficulties.
However, he agreed to order the company to make a
charitable contribution rather than imposing a conviction.
He ordered that 3,000 must go to local charity ras an
Dara.
Adjourning the case, Judge ONeill said if the money is

donated by September 30, he would apply the Probation

Act, which would spare Irish Water a conviction.
I will keep my options open if that is not done, said the
judge.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irish-water-fails-to-improvetowns-drinking-water-422044.html

Irish Water has pleaded guilty to failing to implement a

plan to improve drinking water quality in Carraroe in Co
Galway and was ordered to give 3,000 to charity to avoid
a criminal conviction.
The company is being prosecuted by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) over a delay in completing a 1m
project to deal with a water quality problem in Carraroe.
Earlier this year residents in the Connemara village
received boil water notices.

The prosecution was listed before Judge John O'Neill today

at Dublin District Court.

Irish Water pleaded guilty to charges under EU (drinking

water) regulations that between December 1, 2015 and
January 8 last it failed to comply with a directive issued by
the EPA to implement an action programme approved by
the agency for the improvement of the quality of water for
human consumption from Carraroe public water supply, to
react to parametric values specified for trihalomethanes
(THMs).
THMs are a group of organic chemicals formed when
chlorine is used to disinfect water and reacts with
naturally occurring organic matter in raw water.
An action plan had been approved by the environmental
watchdog agency on Septemebr 9, 2014 but the required
work was not completed by Irish Water until this year.
Prosecution solicitor Maeve Larkin said the offence can
carry a class A fine of 5,000.
Darragh Page, a senior inspector with the EPA, told the
court that in drinking water there should be no more than
100mgs of THMs per litre to be safe.
However tests indicated the levels in the water in Carraroe
were in excess.
There had been an elevated level for several years until
recently, he said.
He agreed with Ms Larkin that the solution was to pre-treat
the water using filtration to take out colour or organic
matter before using chlorine so the by-product THMs are
not formed.
An action plan was agreed with Irish Water but it was not
fully complied with until this year, the court heard. In
January, five weeks after the deadline, Mr Page visited the
treatment plant and saw that it had been unchanged and
the level of THMs still exceeded the standards expected.
The court heard Irish Water had no prior criminal

convictions.
However, in an earlier prosecution by the EPA they were
given the benefit of the Probation Act for a charge
connected to discharge in a Co. Louth stream.
Defence counsel Eoghan Cole said the action plan was
drafted in good faith and it included a time-frame which
was thought realistic.
However, unforeseen problems developed and this was
exacerbated by Irish Water through a breakdown in
communicating that to the EPA.
The delay was caused by difficulties with planning
permission, the court heard. However, Irish Water have
now completed the upgrades at a cost of 1m, counsel
said.
Mr Cole also told the court that the problem with the THM
levels had persisted for a number of years and it was one
which was inherited by Irish Water from Galway County
Council. Irish Water also agreed to pay the EPA's legal and
investigation costs and they co-operated with the EPA, the
defence barrister said, adding that the court has discretion
to consider not recording a conviction.
Judge O'Neill said it was not right that Irish Water took for
granted that there would not be planning permission
difficulties.
However, he agreed to order them make a charitable
contribution rather than imposing a conviction.
He ordered that 3,000 must go to local charity, Aras an
Dara in Carraroe , which helps elderly people with
dementia. Adjourning the case he said that if the money is
donated by September 30 he would apply the Probation
Act, which would spare Irish Water a conviction.
I will keep my options open if that is not done, he added.
Irish Water customers who are owed rebates for using less

than their quota of water, or for having undrinkable

supplies, can still claim their money back.

However, the money will be paid as credits to customer

accounts which are in limbo following the Governments
suspension of household water charges, so it is unclear if
customers will get to benefit from them.
Irish Water has moved to clarify arrangements with its
domestic customers during the suspension period which
runs to the end of March next year. The suspension is to
allow the Governments expert commission on water
charges to examine if charges should be scrapped and, if
so, how water services should be funded.
In the meantime, the company is encouraging customers
to keep engaging with it on issues to do with rebates,
discounts for being subject to boil water notices or
undrinkable water, new connections, leaks, and other
matters.
It says domestic customers whose metered water
consumption came in at less than quota between January
1 last year to March 31 this year, but who were charged
for the quota, can still claim a rebate so long as they do
not have any outstanding bills.
However, it states: Irish Water will apply the rebate as a
credit to each applicable domestic customers account.
That presumes water charges will be reinstated at some

stage.
The Commission for Energy Regulation, which is the
regulator for Irish Water, also stressed that the
relationship between Irish Water and the public had not
been altered by the suspension of charges. Those served
by the Irish Water network remain Irish Water customers,
it said.
That meant the company had to provide all the services
available before charges were suspended, and respond to
complaints as before.
The commission on water, headed by former Labour Court
chairman Kevin Duffy, has been meeting behind closed
doors and is due to return with recommendations by the
end of November.
Water charges remain an incendiary issue for the
partnership government with Fianna Fil saying this week
it now wants charges permanently scrapped.
Meanwhile, a major demonstration is planned for Dublin
this Saturday to demand the abolition of water charges
once and for all.
The event, organised by the Right2Water campaign,
comes ahead of the first trial of a protester charged with
false imprisonment over the Jobstown demonstrations that
saw then Tnaiste Joan Burton trapped in her car for up to
two hours in 2014.

Fianna Fail in pledges to

scrap Irish Water and
build 45,000 social
homes
PUBLISHED
16/01/2016

1
Micheal Martin made the pledge at his party's ard fheis

Fianna Fail would scrap the universal social

charge on low to middle incomes, abolish
Irish Water and build 45,000 new social

homes if elected to power, party leader

Micheal Martin has pledged.
In a keynote speech to his party faithful at the annual ard
fheis, Mr Martin also vowed to expand the Garda and
bring in mandatory sentences for repeat burglars and
those who attack older people.
Depicting Fine Gael as a party who favours the rich, he
said the "arrogant and out of touch" coalition was taking
credit for an economic recovery which was masterminded
by former Fianna Fail finance minister Brian Lenihan.
"(Taoiseach) Enda Kenny is a man fond of telling stories
about men with pints and the army at ATMs. But the
biggest fairy tale of all is his claim to have delivered
recovery," Mr Martin told the gathering in west Dublin.
"This government didn't deliver recovery - it delayed it and
made it more unfair. And it refused to tackle any problem
until it became a crisis."
Mr Martin said the Fine Gael/Labour coalition had failed
to improve emergency departments, hospital waiting lists,
burglaries, rural crime, the response to floods, housing,
homelessness, disability services, special education and
serious drug abuse.
"And they have also delivered a massive rise in inequality,"
he added.
"This didn't happen by chance, it was their choice.
"Every time a new bill arrived in your home it was because
of their policy to shift how government is funded. Their 45
new taxes and charges ignored the basic principle of ability
to pay.
"They had five budgets and all five - all five - gave priority
to the wealthiest."
Mr Martin said even Labour admitted that Fine Gael
wanted to help the wealthiest most.
On families, the Fianna Fail leader said his party in power
would extend maternity leave and introduce a childcare
support tax credit.
It would also set up a help-to-buy scheme for new home

owners and extend mortgage interest relief.

Mr Martin vowed to immediately increase rent
supplement for those at risk of losing their homes.
In health, he said the party would "stop the privatisation
agenda", recruit more staff and develop new services in
mental health.
Mr Martin added that it was "long past time" for an
investment plan to develop areas of Northern Ireland still
damaged by the Troubles.
Turning to the centenary of the 1916, he said the Easter
Rising had a special role in the foundation of Fianna Fail.
"They were no narrow nationalists," he said of the 1916
leaders.
"They demanded that the Republic be democratic and
inclusive - and they said that no person could call
themselves a republican if they acted with inhumane or
debased methods.
"That's something the sectarian and false republicans of
the Provisional movement must never be allowed to
forget."
Mr Martin attacked government warnings that the
electorate should not risk change during the recovery.
"The truth is our country can't risk five more years of this
government," he added.
"We can't risk more chaos in our public services. We can't
risk massive waste on bodies like Irish Water. We can't
risk the growing inequality. We can't risk the charge after
charge heaped on families.
"We can't risk more of the arrogance, the refusal to plan,
the blocking of political reform, the addiction to telling
stories rather than tackling problems."
http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/fianna-fail-inpledges-to-scrap-irish-water-and-build-45000-social-homes34370482.html

Michel Martin is playing with words on water

charges
Thursday, September 22, 2016

Fianna Fil leaders shifting position on water charges requires

deeper scrutiny

The man who would walk on water now has treacle on his
tongue.
Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin has spent the past week
attempting to explain his partys shifting position on water
charges, against pressure from Fine Gael for being populist
and from Sinn Fin for performing a U-turn.
Martin, undeniably the politician of the year, has not been
under such scrutiny since his engineering of the
confidence and supply agreement to facilitate the Fine
Gael-led minority Government.
It was during those negotiations that Fianna Fil forced the
suspension of water charges, effectively for the duration of
this Dil.
It had argued for a five-year suspension, even though Fine

Gael believed at one stage that Martins negotiators were

ready to allow some class of charging system remain,
albeit with very generous allowances.
Martins manoeuvring on water charges since then
deserves scrutiny and cannot be waved away with his
claims of utter consistency.
Fianna Fils agreement to charge for water as part of the
troika bailout is the benchmark against which all other
shifts should be measured.
When it emerged that the party, in a submission to the
Expert Commission on Domestic Public Water Services,
called for a permanent end to water charges, Martin
claimed this was entirely consistent with its general
election manifesto of earlier this year.
Except that it wasnt.
The manifesto said the following: Abolish Irish Water and
scrap water charges. It argued the last Government
imposed a water charges regime where families are
paying for a service that does not deliver.
Five years
People should not be expected to pay for a service that is
not up to standard, it said. At the very event to launch
the manifesto, Martin was pressed on this position and
explained it would apply for five years.
Weve made it clear that we will be abolishing Irish Water
and there will be no charges for the next five years, he
said.
Our key policy, as it has been over the last number of
years, is fix the system first before we levy charges and
obviously we will consider that situation in 2021.
The system must be fixed before we levy charges an
acceptance that charges will come at some stage.
In July, Martin repeated his election position that
abolishing charges was for the the lifetime of the next
government. He refused to be drawn on whether Fianna
Fil agreed with some kind of charge, saying he was loath
to say we would support one or the other.
The Fianna Fil submission lodged earlier this month to the
water commission, which is examining how water services
should be funded, changed tack in a subtle but very
important way.
The primary argument shifted away from the idea that

people should not pay for an inadequate water system.

Instead, it said charging is no longer required because the
economic crisis has passed.
Owing to the failure to implement a fair and effective
water charge regime and the end of financial emergency
measures, it is impossible to see how water charges can
remain.
The public recognise that improving economic
circumstances mean that it is possible to address the
water infrastructure needs through investment from
taxation.
An accompanying information note sent to party TDs was
even more blunt. Water charges have failed and are
costing the State money. Its time to bring them to a
complete end.
Contribution principle
Somewhat confusingly, the note added: Fianna Fil is not
opposed to the principle of people making a contribution
to the upkeep of our water supply as many households
across the country already do . . . We have no plans to
introduce a water charges regime.
Martin furthermore this week said he does not envisage
charges coming back, only for certain party figures to
claim they could return at some stage in the future after
all.
Many in Fianna Fil maintain the idea of charging for water
has been dead since the confidence and supply deal.
Some in Fine Gael wishfully believe that Fianna Fil will
have to accept a charging system if the water charges
commission recommends one.
Martin has spent the past few months playing with words.
Perhaps the commissions conclusions, due later this year,
will eventually force him to take a definite position once
and for all. But dont count on it.

Noel Whelan: Expect more

Fianna Fil flip-flops on
water
Latest move to abolish charges for good took some
members of the party by surprise
about 5 hours ago

Noel Whelan

This week we have again seen the political potency of water charges.

This week we have again seen the political potency of

water charges. Policy on water could determine not
only the length of this Government but also Fianna Fil
prospects in the subsequent election. It is worth
revisiting the partys stance on the matter over the past
seven years.
The Renewed Programme for Government published
by Fianna Fil and the Green Party on October 9th,
2009, said on page 5: We will introduce charging for
treated water use that is fair, significantly reduces
waste and is easily applied. It will be based on a system
where households are allocated a free basic allowance,
with charging only for water use in excess of this
allowance. In keeping with the allocation of greater
responsibility to local government, local authorities
will set their own rates for water use.
In his budget statement on December 9th, 2009,
Fianna Fils then minister for finance Brian Lenihan
reiterated the commitment to introduce a system of
water metering for homes.
Preparations are under way. Water charges, when
introduced, will be based on consumption above a free
allocation.
The Programme for Financial Support for Ireland,
which Lenihan signed with the European Union and
IMF on December 16th, 2010, said on page 9: We are
also planning to move towards full cost-recovery in the
provision of water services.
The same document said on page 25: The government
will have undertaken an independent assessment of
transfer of responsibility for water services provision
from local authorities to a water utility, and prepare
proposals for implementation, as appropriate, with a
view to start charging in 2012/2013.

After some delay water charges were introduced by the

last Fine Gael-Labour government and, in accordance
with Fine Gael pre-election 2009 New Era policy
document, it also established Irish Water.
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/noel-whelan-expect-more-fiannafil-flip-flops-on-water-1.2801848?
utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Economics 30/04/2010: Minister Lenihan's statements

in the Dail
Some interesting points on Nama, coming out of Minister Lenihan's
answers to Dail questions this Wednesday, April 28 (emphasis is mine):

"The NAMA SPV structure has a subscribed capital of 100m. As explained to

the Dail at the time of the legislation, and subsequently agreed with the EU,
49% of this capital was advanced by NAMA and 51% by private investors.
Three private investors, namely, Irish Life Investment Managers, New Ireland
Assurance and a group of clients of Allied Irish Banks Investment Managers,
have each invested 17m in the vehicle. It is important to note that in each case
the beneficial owners of the investment are pension funds or other clients of
these investment companies and not the parent credit institution. [It is equally
important to note that in each case the full owner of each one of these
entities is an institution directly involved either in Nama or in Banks
Guarantee scheme, which, of course, under normal rules of
engagement would imply potential conflict of interest]
The SPV has been established in accordance with Eurostat rules. The Board of
the SPV is chaired by the CEO of NAMA and has three NAMA nominated
directors with the private investors retaining the right to nominate a further
three directors. Thus the SPV is structured in such a manner that NAMA
representatives will maintain an effective veto over decisions of the SPV
Board. [Thus the so-called 'veto' is a de facto, not de jure. Should one of the
Nama representatives on the board fall ill, be delayed in travel or be absent on
some state-sponsored junket, in absence of the said member, it is quite possible
- even if only in theory - that the veto power can pass over to the 'private'
owners of SPV.]
Further:
"InlinewithmystatementtotheHouseon30Marchonthebankingsituation,
IsubsequentlyissuedPromissoryNoteson31MarchtoAngloIrishBankand
IrishNationwideBuildingSociety.TheseNoteswillensurethatboth
institutionscontinuetomeettheirregulatorycapitalrequirements.Theinitial

principalamountoftheNotethatissuedtoAngloIrishBankis8.3bnandto
INBSitis2.6bn.AsIindicatedinmyrecentstatement,itislikelythatAnglo
willneedfurthercapitalinduecoursebuttheextentandtimingofsuchfurther
supportremainstobedetermined.
ThetermsofthePromissoryNotesthatissuedtobothinstitutionson31March
aresubstantivelythesameand,interalia,providethat10%oftheprincipal
amountwill,ifdemandedbytheinstitution,bepaideachyearandthatthefirst
suchpaymentwillfalldueforpaymentfromtheCentralFundon31March
2011.Anannualinterestcoupon,relatedtoGovernmentbondyields,isalso
payableonthePromissoryNoteswhichtheMinisterhasabsolutediscretionto
payontheduedateortoaddtotheprincipalamount.[So,incontradictionto
thedeeplyinformedDaraO'BrienTD,itisthestatewhowillbepaying
interesttothebanks.Nottheotherwayaround]
ThisensuresthattheNotemeetsaccountingrequirementstobefairvaluedat
theprincipalamountintheannualaccountsofeachinstitution,consistentwith
theregulatorycapitalrequirements.[ThissentenceisanexampleofMinister's
habitualabuseoffinancialterminology,insofarasitmakesabsolutelyno
rationalsensetoanyoneevenvaguelyfamiliarwithfinance.'Fairvalued'must
refertoabenchmark,beingacomparative/relativeterm.'Fairvaluedatthe
principalamount'isgobbledygookasprincipalamountthefacevalueofthe
bond/notecanonlybevaluedinrelationtothepriceofthebondoryieldonthe
bond,noneofwhicharereferencedinMinister'sstatement.Furthermore,fair
valueconceptdoesnotrefertotheregulatorcapitalrequirements.Itrefers
onlyIrepeat,onlytothemarketvalueofthebond/note.]
Intheeventofawindingupofeitherinstitution,theaggregateofthe
outstandingprincipalamountandanyunpaidinterestthathasaccruedonthe
institutionsNotefallsdueforimmediatepayment.[So,atleastintheory,the
Exchequermightfaceanimmediatecallforbillionsofeurosincash...what
provisionshavebeenmadetoensurewewillhavethiscovered?Howwill
MinisterLenihanbeabletoraisesuchfundingeveniftheeconomyisnotin
crisis?Whatwillbetheadditionalcostofhavingtoraisesuchfundingina
fireissueofanewstatebond?HastheMinisterestablishedadequatepricing
schemetochargethebanksforthetaxpayersassumingsuchariskorhashe
'gifted'thisriskpremiumaway,therebypotentiallyexposingtaxpayersto
addedhundredsofmillionsinnewcostsofsuchemergencyissuance?]
TheDeputymayalsowishtonotethat,asindicatedinmybankingstatementof
30March,theuseofPromissoryNotesmeansthattheinstitutionscapital
requirementsaremetinawaywhichspreadsthecashpaymentsoveranumber
ofyearsandtherebyreducesthefundingburdenontheExchequerthatwould
otherwiseariseinthecurrentyear.[ThisstatementclearlyshowsthatMinister

Lenihandoesnotunderstandthebasicsofinterestrate/yieldcurve
relationships.Heimplicitlyassumesthatinthefuture,thestateborrowing
costswillbelowerthantheyaretoday.Thereisabsolutelynoreasonforsuch
anassumption.]

Irish Water to get 660m bailout

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Irish Water will get a 660m bailout this year but a

decision to suspend water charges could have big
consequences for funding other services next year, warns
Housing Minister Simon Coveney.

His suggestion was backed by Public Expenditure Minister

Paschal Donohoe who said funding for Irish Water would
compete with other demands such as housing.
The pre-budget cautions put Fine Gael directly at odds
with Fianna Fil, which wants water charges suspended
indefinitely. Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday accused
Fianna Fil of a reversal to old-school populism in
insisting water charges not be reintroduced.
Funding for Irish Water is being considered by a
commission on water charges, due to report in November.

Mr Coveney said the 2017 position on funding for Irish

Water is dependent on what the commission and a followup Dil committee conclude.
It had been planned that the subvention, or bailout, for
Irish Water would be 479m. Irish Water estimates its
shortfall from water charges to be 181m for this year.
This brings the total subvention needed for Irish Water this
year to 660m, Mr Coveney told the Oireachtas housing
committee.
The 181m shortfall will be plugged by the 110m that
was to go to the water conservation grant, a 58m loan to
Irish Water, and another 13m still to be found.
Mr Coveney said the 110m from the conservation grant
would not be there next year. Lets be honest about this,
if the Oireachtas decides to do away with water charges,
then we still need to progress and deliver on the
significant capital expenditure programme that Irish Water
needs to deliver on, he said.
That will have to come through other revenue raising and
presumably general taxation, which then limits our ability
to spend in other areas and also undermines the water
conservation incentive that comes with having some link
between what people pay and how much they use, never
mind all the issues around water directives.
Funding for Irish Water will be discussed when the
commission reports and in the context of the budget, the
committee was told.
Mr Coveney said: But the choices we make have
consequences, big consequences, because regardless of
what way you cut it, we have to invest billions of euros
over the next five years in water infrastructure and it has
got to be paid for. The only question we have to decide is,
do we pay for that through general taxation; do we pay for
it through a combination of general taxation and direct
charging that tries to incentivise conservation and water
management; or do we go back to a previous charging

system?
He added: There is a big cost if we decide not to have
revenue stream coming from water provision to domestic
houses. There are big consequences in terms of the flow of
money in and out of government.
Separately, Mr Coveney warned local authorities not to
expect the Government to pick up the tab if they reduce
property taxes next year. Some 16 councils cut rates last
year and 11 had done so this year, he said.
The warning on water was also made by Mr Donohoe,
when he told a separate committee about budget
preparations. Water treatment coming directly from
general taxation would directly compete with other
needs including housing, he said.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irish-water-to-get-660mbailout-422244.html

So Irish Water, the company staffed with well paying jobs

full of pen pushers and CEOs on massive salaries and
perks, need a bailout to keep going...
How many pipes will they fix for 660 million?
Meanwhile the poorest in society can get f*cked..
"funding for Irish Water would compete with other
demands such as housing."
Letter From Rita Cahill
September 22, 16
just had to send Michael 'Sleaze' Noonan a little email today
IRISH WATER BAILOUT
Minister
I know this genuine request for the provision of very simple
information will be abjectly ignored like the many I have sent you
before, but I do so love to exercise my public right as a citizen and
tax-payer ... No matter how much it irks you.
With the whole Irish Water saga you made reference to the creation
of the private corporation "OFF BALANCE SHEET".
Obviously this creative accounting is an attempt, albeit known to
the world and his mother, to falsify the true position of the nation's
finances vis-a-vis the ECB and Troika partners.
The question that nobody has seemed to raise is "WHAT OTHER
ASSETS (or indeed liabilities) HAVE BEEN TREATED AS 'OFFBALANCE-SHEET'?? , not just during the term of the previous
government, but going back over decades??
It seems to me there is a black-hole somewhere with vast sums of
CASH which can be accessed for various NON-PUBLIC, UNBUDGETED
items such as the 600,000,000 to pay for legal advise IN ADVANCE
of any decision to challenge the EU's Apple ruling, and now
660,000,000 to bail out Irish Water ... Bringing the total cost for

that dead horse to MORE THAN THE EXISTENCE OF THE THING WAS
SUPPOSED TO RAISE IN CAPITAL FOR INVESTMENT IN UPDATING THE
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
Where is this money coming from?
Minister, you won't mind me saying that as someone of the
"Ansbacher Generation", you no doubt have vast knowledge and
expertise in off-shore bank accounts and shell companies ... Would I
be right in thinking that while hundreds of thousands of Irish people
are suffering ... (I feel the word is wasted on you because I doubt
you have ever experienced what they are going through ) ...
suffering for want of food, shelter, decent basic healthcare,
education and opportunities, that the country actually DOES have
the resources to address all of its issues but the government refuses
to release its hoard of cash so that it can be used to lubricate the
wheels of Private Corporate Politics...?
Yours, not holding my breath,

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

FIANNA Fil has no excuse not to back a Sinn Fin
motion to abolish Irish Water, according to local TD
Donnchadh Laoghaire who has challenged Michel
Martin to back up his claims that water charges are
finished.

Garda whistleblower Wilson to be

prosecuted
Former garda John Wilson, who came to prominence as a
whistleblower on the penalty points system, is to be
prosecuted for his role in a water-charge protest.
Monday, February 01, 2016
Michael Clifford

Mr Wilson has raised concerns about the decision to

prosecute, following his arrest at a protest in Cavan last
April.
He is expected to stand as an independent candidate for
the Cavan-Monaghan constituency in the general election.
I believe that the timing of this decision to prosecute me
was made to damage my chances in the upcoming
general election, he said.
I will vigorously contest the charge.
If I am elected, I will support all efforts to dismantle Irish
Water and to consign this toxic entity to the dustbin of
history.
Mr Wilson has been informed that he is to be summonsed
in relation to the alleged offence, following direction from
the DPP.
Mr Wilson and two other protesters were arrested on April
21 last, at Kinvarna Crescent estate, in Cavan, after garda
were called when a stand-off developed between
protesters and a water-meter installation crew.

http://www.irishexaminer.
com/ireland/gardawhistleblower-wilson-to-

be-prosecuted-379264.html
This man has been treated so wrongly by his former work
place..All for speaking out on the wrong these bad boys
are up to ..The real Law breakers

Katherine Zappones childcare plan

prices stay-home parents out of market
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Victoria White

The argument for the policy is that government should not

discriminate between parents in paid work and parents at
home, writes Victoria White.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone

TD. Photo: RollingNews.ie
CARING for your own children is bad. Caring for someone
elses children is good. Thats the thrust of the new cashfor-childcare policy under consideration by the Cabinet for
inclusion in next months budget.
If you use a registered childcare service, youll get a
subsidy of about 2,000 per year, per child towards the
care. If you rear that child yourself, youll get nothing.
There is plenty to like about Childrens Minister Katherine
Zappones plan. She is recommending higher benefits for
less well-off parents, who will see much of their childcare
subsidised and lower benefits for those on higher incomes.
It seems that around 47,000 per couple will be deemed
the threshold of acceptability for receiving higher benefits.
advertisement

READ NEXT Dublin Bus dispute will lead to a general

strike in public transport
The payment is flexible. It will be paid to users of private

creches and private childminders but all these facilities

must be registered as adhering to new mandatory
standards. This could have the effect of raising standards
overall without impacting on parents wish to stay with the
much-loved local child-minder or crche.
But it is appalling because it excludes parents who care for
their own children. They are outside the pale of state
support as if they had done something terribly wrong.
Most of them have done nothing wrong. There is no
research study in the world which says that it is bad for
children to be cared for by their own parents. Families,
Children and Childcare, the largest study of childcare
choices ever conducted in the UK found parental care was
clearly the best option for young children, followed by
childminders and relations, with crche care coming in
last.

Who cares what the research says. Ms Zappone promised

to bring in a Nordic childcare system and this is it. Except
there is one part of the Nordic package which were
leaving out: Parents. Not only do Nordic parents have the
option of long, paid parental leave in Sweden, Norway,
and Finland they also have the option of taking the cash
for the care of their own preschoolers rather than using a
state childcare facility.
The schemes vary quite a bit. The best-established is that
in Finland, which covers children aged between one and
three, and includes both a universal and a means-tested

element. It can be extended to include the care of older

preschoolers, with each child attracting a separate
payment.
The argument for the policy is that government should not
discriminate between parents in paid work and parents at
home when it comes to childcare. Government policy
should be neutral and people should make their own
choices.
Cash-for-care is the subject of a furious and often
polarised debate in the Nordic countries. In Sweden and
Norway, where it is less well-established than in Finland,
the debating teams are usually Social Democratic
(against) and Christian Democrat (for) and the motion is:
Does cash for care offer women choice, or is it a
housewife trap? In this country there is no debate of any
kind. Virtually nobody stands up for parenting at home,
although recent census returns indicate that 75% of
children under 12 are cared for in this way. Hardly anyone
raises an objection as the axe falls again and again on a
central strut of our society as it is currently constituted.
Nobody ever asks whether some of the positive results for
Ireland in comparative studies in school retention, for
instance or happiness in childhood might be impacted
in any way by the work of parents in their homes.
Advocates witter on about a level playing field for those
who work outside the home and have the extra expense
of childcare. They dont have this extra expense. Those
who work in the home have forfeited their income. They
are not spending 50% of their income on childcare. They
are spending 100% of their income on it. Parents cant
afford to work because it wouldnt be worth their while,
apparently. But nobody asks why it should be worth more
to the economy to sit in an office or stand in a shop than
to care for a child at home. And nobody makes the
connection between that under-valuation of care in the
home and the appallingly low pay which is typical in the
childcare sector.
What the trade union Siptu says in its pre-budget
submission to Ms Zappone on childcare Despite the
importance of their work these workers are usually paid
less than a living wage and receive little recognition for
their qualifications or their contribution to society

relates equally to parents in the home. Thats not

surprising because they both care for children and the
issue here is our inability to value the care of children. Our
inability to value children.

Katherine Zappone is, I think, a minister who does value

children. But she seems hostage to an ideology which sees
professional childcare as an unqualified benefit to children,
regardless of the quality of parenting they would
otherwise receive. This is just not so. The research into the
benefits of childcare which shows dollars invested by
society multiplying up to 16 times by the alchemy of
preschool are quoted again and again nearly all refer to
the Perry Preschool Project run in the US between 1962
and 1967 by which 123 children from seriously
disadvantaged homes were taken into lavishly-funded
preschool services between the ages of three and four.
For them, childcare presented an unqualified benefit. For
children from supportive homes the benefits of preschool
are described by our own National Economic and Social
Forum as modest, if any while in the UK, Families,
Children and Childcares Penelope Leach found that as a
general rule the less childcare before the age of three,
the better. Tax individualisation removed a stay-home
parents tax allowance and can cause gaps of over 5,000
between the one and the two-income household. This new
benefit threatens to add 2,000 per child to the penalty
paid by families in which one parent stays home. If it is

brought in, there will be two-income families which

already gain under the tax code by over 100 a week,
compared with single-income families, but further are
subsidised by 2,000, 4,000 or even 6,000 a year
and thats before you count the second income. How on
earth can the single-income family compete with them for
housing and services?
The State is planning to extend its cruel discrimination
against single income families, including those who cant
get a second job due to health issues, geography or
unmarketable skills or whose children require extra care.
Lets have the childcare payment, but lets do it like the
Nordic-style. Lets pay it to parents working in their homes
as well.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/columnists/victoriawhite/katherine-zappones-childcare-plan-prices-stay-home-parentsout-of-market-422192.html

Constitutional rights of
children apply to the born
and unborn
Katherine Zappone is Minister for Children all children
yet she proposes that their protection should be
diminished by the repeal of article 40.3.3
Thu, Aug 18, 2016, 00:05

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone

The recent judgment of Mr Justice Richard

Humphreys on the rights of unborn children, in IRM v
Minister for Justice and Equality, on July 29th, became
fully accessible to the public last Thursday when it was
published on the Judgments Database of the Courts
Service.
It has important implications for the protection of
unborn children, not only in the context of abortion
(which was not the focus of the case) but more
generally. It raises a question as to how the Minister
for Children is most effectively to discharge her
responsibility to protect all children, born and unborn.
The narrow question requiring resolution was whether
the Minister for Justice and Equality, when
considering the possible revocation of an order for the
deportation of a man could ignore the rights of the
unborn child of the man and his partner. Mr Justice
Humphreys held that the Minister was obliged to have
regard to the unborn child, though he made it clear
that this would not weigh heavily in the determination
as to possible deportation.

Mr Justice Humphreys made three crucial findings.

First, that article 40.3.3 should not be regarded in
isolation from the constitutional order as a whole.
Second, that the unborn child has a wide range of
constitutional rights requiring protection. Third, that
the recent amendment to the Constitution protecting
the rights of children applies to all children, born and
unborn.
The judge noted that subsection 3 of article 40.3 had
been enacted in the wake of a number of judicial
decisions to the effect that the rights of the unborn
were in any event protected by article 40.3.
He rejected the Minister for Justice and Equalitys
stance that article 40.3.3 had been intended to sweep
away all such decisions and to embody in one
subsection the totality of the rights of the unborn.
Other significant rights of the unborn child were
recognised, acknowledged or created by common law
or statute, in turn reflecting inherent natural and
constitutional rights of the unborn which are implied
by the constitutional order.

Biological reality
Mr Justice Humphreys also said: Since we were all
unborn at one point, it is illogical to be dismissive of
the natural, human and biological reality that there is
continuity between the rights to be enjoyed before
birth and those after birth. He went on to record that
the recognition of rights for the unborn is not some
peculiarity of Irish or even of common law.
He quoted a passage from the preamble to the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child that states adopt
the Convention [b]earing in mind that, as indicated in
the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the child, by
reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs
special safeguards and care, including appropriate

legal protection, before as well as after birth.

After a review of earlier case law, Mr Justice
Humphreys followed the lead of Ms Justice Mary
Irvines judgment in OE v Minister for Justice, Equality
and Law Reform in 2008. It was manifest from her
comprehensive and compelling analysis that the
ministers stance was entirely without merit. It was
clearly established that the unborn child enjoyed
significant rights under the Constitution even prior to
the adoption of article 40.3.3.
The interpretation offered by the State would, as Ms
Justice Irvine had pointed out, place the rights of the
unborn child, from a constitutional perspective, at a
much lower level than the rights afforded to the
unborn child at common law.
Four years after Ms Justice Irvines decision in OE,
article 42A of the Constitution on the rights of the child
was adopted, when the childrens rights referendum
was successful. Section 1 of the new article provides
that the State recognises and affirms the natural and
imprescriptible rights of all children and shall, as far as
practicable, by its laws protect and vindicate those
rights.
The fact that the term unborn child was part of the
statute law of the State on the date of the adoption of
article 42A and the use in that article of the striking
phrase all children lent support to the conclusion
that the term child includes the unborn child.
Mr Justice Humphreys was of the view that an unborn
child is clearly a child and thus protected by article
42A. Any other conclusion would fly in the face of the
ordinary meaning of language, the use of the term
child in numerous statutory contexts prior to the
adoption of article 42A, and the sheer social, biological
and human reality that an unborn child is, indeed, a
child. Ask any happily expectant parent.

He rejected the States attempt to diminish or dismiss

the status of the unborn child by arguing that article
42A could not apply to unborn children because
unborn children were incapable of exercising several
rights: Consider likewise the born child who may
perhaps suffer from profound disability and therefore
may not be able to meaningfully enjoy a large number
of constitutional rights either such as freedom of
expression, association, assembly, correspondence,
religion or education, or to rights in the social, cultural
and economic field. That does not detract from his or
her status as a child and entitlement to rights.

Troubling matters
Mr Justice Humphreys described the States
submissions as to the interpretation of articles 40.3.3
and 42A as being intended to be good for this officially
disfavoured category of human person and not
otherwise; they are not meant to be taken seriously as
the inevitable result of valid and broad principles of
constitutional interpretation, but are simply a
pragmatic fix to tidy away the problem of the unborn.
There is much to reflect upon in this judgment. May I
mention two troubling matters?
A judge of the High Court was obliged by the stance of
the State to describe the unborn child as an officially
disfavoured category of human person.
Anyone with a sense of history will be disturbed by that
fact. Katherine Zappone is Minister for Children all
children yet she proposes that their protection
should be diminished by the repeal of article 40.3.3.
William Binchy is a barrister-at-law
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/constitutional-rights-of-childrenapply-to-the-born-and-unborn-1.2759439

Brendan Howlin appeals to

voters to 'listen again' to

Labour party
The Labour leader acknowledged that "we made mistakes, we
know that"
22 Sep 2016

The Labour leader is appealing to voters to 'listen again'

to his party.
Brendan Howlin is holding his first gathering of elected
representatives since the disastrous performance in the
election earlier this year.
The party went from 33 TDs before the election to just seven
in the new Dil.
Deputy Howlin says rebuilding the party will mean new
policies and a hope the electorate will give them another
chance.
"A lot of people weren't listening to us - they made up their
minds," he observed. "There was almost a view formed by
people [that] 'you broke your promise, or you let us down, or
you did something' without actually crystallising what exactly it
was.
"That was because people were hurting after five, six, seven
years of austerity," he argued.
The party leader also spoke to Newstalk Drive this evening.
On the subject of their election result, he said: "We went
through the most difficult period for any government in the
history of the State, and at the end of it we'd hoped for better.
We lost a lot of very fine public representatives."
Discussing the party's future, he explained: "Our aim is very

simple now - to reconnect with those working people who want

a better future for themselves, who want a fairer society.
"[Labour has] made mistakes, we know that. We overpromised in advance of the last election. Bluntly, a lot of
people weren't listening to us when it came to the election. So
really progressive policies on areas like childcare [...] weren't
heard in the last election."
Would you look who is out with the begging bowl?
"We made mistakes, we know that"
Would you f*ck off Brendan and go click your fingers
elsewhere.
There's a good chap.

http://www.newstalk.com/Brendan-Howlin-appeals-to-voters-tolisten-again-to-Labour-party

What you didn't know

about your fitness tracker
and your right to privacy

Adrian Weckler Twitter

EMAIL
PUBLISHED
22/09/2016

1
Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon

Smart electricity meters and wearable

fitness trackers are failing Irish peoples
privacy, according to a new report by the
data protection regulator.
Smart electricity meters and wearable fitness trackers are
failing Irish peoples privacy, according to a new report by
the data protection regulator.
Helen Dixons office will now step up audits of
technology devices after a survey of 300 internet of
things devices found alarming shortfalls in the

management of personal data by developers and

suppliers.
The study also involved 25 other data protection
authorities. It showed that three quarters of device
manufacturers failed to explain how customers could
delete their information. It also showed that two thirds of
manufacturers failed to explain how information was
stored, while three in five failed to explain how personal
information would be collected and processed. Just over a
third of manufacturers failed to include easily identifiable
contact details if customers had privacy concerns.
In the Irish area of study, nine devices were investigated
ranging from smart electricity meters to fitness trackers.
The data regulator declined to name the manufacturers
involved.
However, the office is considering action against those
who are found to be in breach of legislation.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is
planning to scale up investigative and audit work in this
area in 2017, said John Rogers, the data watchdogs
senior investigations officer who coordinated the Irish
sweep.
We have already begun to schedule audits of devices in
the technology sector. The purpose of these audits will be
to gauge compliance with the Data Protection Acts and to
work with companies to ensure that their products are
meeting the required standards.
The sweep was coordinated by the Global Privacy
Enforcement Network, an informal network of global data
protection agencies.
http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/what-youdidnt-know-about-your-fitness-tracker-and-your-right-toprivacy-35071296.html

Siptu: Minister's 'sugar daddy'

comment is 'ridiculous and incredible'
Transport Minister Shane Ross is facing renewed attacks
on his handling of the pay dispute at Dublin Bus as it
enters its latest two day strike.

Union leaders at Siptu branded his remarks that he was

not a "sugar daddy" ridiculous and incredible. They called
on him to accept his responsibilities to bus users.
The war of words deepened with services shutting down at
9pm and not back on the roads until Sunday morning, with
no Nitelink buses running on Friday or Saturday for people
socialising in the city.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Transport Minister Shane Ross is facing renewed attacks
on his handling of the pay dispute at Dublin Bus as it
enters its latest two day strike.
Union leaders at Siptu branded his remarks that he was
not a "sugar daddy" ridiculous and incredible. They called
on him to accept his responsibilities to bus users.
The war of words deepened with services shutting down at
9pm and not back on the roads until Sunday morning, with
no Nitelink buses running on Friday or Saturday for people
socialising in the city.
Siptu organiser Owen Reidy said company bosses and the
Department of Transport have shown a complete lack of
interest in resolving the dispute.
"It is no longer sustainable for the Minister for Transport to
sit back and say this dispute has nothing to do with him
when he is responsible for public transport," he said.
"His line about not being 'a sugar daddy' is both ridiculous
and incredible.

"He claims that he is merely a shareholder in Dublin Bus

when in reality the Department of Transport has
responsibility for deciding upon the strategic direction of
public transport and the amount of state funding that will
be provided to deliver services."
Siptu claimed Dublin Bus management has made no effort
to engage with unions.
And with another 13 strike days planned the company is
set to lose 15m.
Dublin Bus apologised to the 400,000 bus users left with
limited transport options over the next 48 hours and
pleaded with unions to call off the action.
"Dublin Bus has come through an extremely tough
financial period in recent years due to the recession and
has only just reached a stable financial footing," a
spokeswoman said.
"We have a responsibility to our employees and to the
taxpayer to manage our finances to safeguard the
economic and financial stability of the company.
"We remain willing and open to engage with the trade
unions and urge them to return to talks as provided for in
the Labour Court recommendation, so that we can work
together to move forward and find a resolution to the
current dispute."
Further strike days are planned for Saturday October 1 the All-Ireland football final replay, then Wednesday 5,
Friday 7, Monday 10, Wednesday 12, Friday 14, Tuesday
18, Wednesday 19, Monday 24, Wednesday 26 and
Saturday 29.
A protest march is planned by Dublin Bus union members
through the capital to the Dil next Tuesday as TDs return
to Leinster House.
General secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union
Dermot O'Leary turned his criticism to civil servants in the
Department of Transport who he accused of being
answerable to noone.
He also accused them of trying to dismantle Bus Eireann
as the Dublin Bus pay dispute threatens to spread.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/siptu-ministerssugar-daddy-comment-is-ridiculous-and-incredible-756018.html

Govt 'running to stand still' as they

announce more homes to fight
homelessness
Thursday, September 22, 2016

The Government says 1,350 people have exited

homelessness in the first six months of the year.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney has announced that
more rapid-build homes, and an additional 230 emergency
beds for rough sleepers, will be made available between
November and January.
He has reiterated his commitment to end the use of hotels
for homeless accommodation, except in limited
circumstances by the middle of next year.
Minister Coveney admits tackling the homeless issue is
not an easy task.
He said: "In the first half of this year 1,350 sustainable
exits have been achieved and by the end of the year they
said there will be over 2,700.
"That is more people being taken out of homelessness in
Ireland this year than ever before, ironically at a time
when we have more people who are homeless.
"We are running to stand still in some ways at the moment
and so further accelereation is needed to start reducing
those overall numbers."

Pic: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Minister Coveney said that the Housing Agency has
already bought 171 properties and more than 730 homes
have been offered to the agency for sale.
He also said that so far this year more than 450 tenancies
have been secured and he said "we are confident we will
exceed the target for this year". He said that 69% of the
households accommodated under the pilot are families
with children.
Some of the Action Plan's main commitments are:
* We aim to ensure that by mid-2017, commercial hotels
will only be used in limited circumstances to
accommodate homeless families.
* We are accelerating the provision of the Rapid Build
programme. By the end of 2018 at least 1,500 units will be
provided. This year we will have some 300 homes under
construction or completed by the end of the year. We have
projects in Ballyfermot, Drimnagh, Belcamp and Finglas
which have had enabling works carried out and
construction is expected to commence next month.

* We are expanding HAP Homeless Tenancies to deliver

550 in 2016 and 1,200 in 2017.
* Additional 200 emergency beds for rough sleepers to be
put in place before end of year at a cost of up to 4m.
* The Housing Agency will purchase 1,600 vacant
properties and a number of these will be used to provide
permanent homes for homeless families.
* The increased supply of social housing targeted in the
Plan - 47,000 homes by the end of 2021 will also ensure
that more homes are provided for those who are homeless
and for those at risk of homelessness.
* Rebuilding Ireland also includes a range of important
measures aimed at supporting homeless families with
children in emergency accommodation, including the
provision of dedicated child support workers, home-school
liaison staff, access to free public transport, access to
crches and pre-school services and measures to address
their nutritional needs.
* We are strengthening our effort to provide rough
sleepers with a home, by tripling the target for the
Housing First teams in Dublin from 100 tenancies to 300
tenancies and by strengthening the housing-led approach
in other urban areas. HSE funding will increase from 2m
this year to 6m next year to provide health, mental
health and addiction supports to rough sleepers and
people in emergency accommodation, who often have
complex needs that must be addressed in tandem with the
provision of stable housing.
* We must continue to prevent people from becoming
homeless. People in serious mortgage arrears will be
provided with increased access to legal and financial
advice and more households will be facilitated under the
Mortgage to Rent scheme, while existing measures to
protect tenants in the private rented sector will be
extended nationwide.

Homeless children will get free school transport from midOctober but Children's Minister Katherine Zappone was
forced to defend plans to give their families free travel
passes for day trips.

Pic: Collins
"Clearly what we're trying to do is make it easier to cope
with a very difficult circumstance and several children and
young people we have spoken to have said that would be
a great thing for them," she said.
The number of social houses being built is to increase from
74 last year to more than 1,500 this year and another
2,300 next year.
"That on top of a more aggressive acquisition programme,
getting voids back into use, we are going to see a
dramatic increase in the availability of social housing," Mr
Coveney said.
Elsewhere, Tusla is to be asked to support about 40 young
people who leave state care each year as they begin to
search for accommodation.

Other commitments pledged by the Government in July

were also repeated including only allowing limited use of
hotels and bed and breakfasts for emergency homeless
accommodation by the middle of next year.
Campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said: "Until we see the
monthly figures of the homeless reducing I will reserve my
applause."
The charity chief also hit out at continued plans to develop
dormitory-style accommodation for rough sleepers, which
he said many refuse to use for fear of being robbed or
targeted by drug dealers.
Focus Ireland's director of advocacy Mike Allen said: "The
minister has repeatedly referred to tackling homelessness
being like trying to empty the bath with the taps full on
but there is very little in this plan to turn off the taps now."
Rebuilding-Ireland-Action-Plan, Housing Minister Simon
Coveney has announced that more rapid-build homes, and
an additional 230 emergency beds for rough sleepers,
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3112008/RebuildingIreland-Action-Plan.pdf

When times are good, it makes sense to salt something

away. Times aren't always good. After the past eight years,
nobody disputes that.

When bad times come, having some savings to fall back

on makes life less difficult. It also means less disruption.
Running countries' finances and running household
budgets differ in some significant ways, but in both cases
prudence is important. If you want to avoid a shock - in
personal life or in national life - having a cash cushion is
wise.
With the date for Budget 2017 finally set - it will be
unveiled two weeks from next Tuesday - consideration of
money matters will likely dominate the national discourse
for much of the next month. Most of the discussion will
focus on who gets what.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan moved earlier this week
to lower everyone's expectations, saying that nobody will
be cheering from the rafters after his budget speech. This
all sounds prudent.
But Mr Noonan has a record of sounding more prudent
than he acts.
In recent years, he has managed to find clever ways
around the (many) rules that bind him. He has done so in
order to dispense more on budget day than he had
originally flagged. The mantra he used to keep the troika
happy - under-promise and over-deliver - is also how he
has tried to woo the electorate.
This has all been designed to cheer people up by 'giving
back' more to taxpayers and those dependent on the
State in various ways. But you can't give back what you
don't have.
This year, the Government's latest figures show that it will
spend 2bn more than it takes in. It has to borrow to make
up the difference. The amounts are not trifling. Bridging
the gap amounts to an additional 1,000 borrowed this
year for every person at work in the country.
When one considers the size of the national debt
mountain, this is worrying. The Government is keeping up
its borrowing habit despite its accumulated debts from all
previous years amounting to more than 100,000 per
worker.
Nor is the borrowing habit about to change. As per the
Government's latest sums, the plan is to remain in the red
next year. Only in 2018 does the current administration
plan to balance the State's books. Given that its chances

of still being in office by then are limited, that plan doesn't

count for much.
All this puts Ireland in a very vulnerable position. If you
can't make ends meet in the good times, you will be in
real trouble when times turn bad. One doesn't need to be
an economist to know that a weakening economy will send
the public finances deeper into the red, as more people
come to depend on the State and fewer people pay into its
coffers.
If that happens, it will be straight back to austerity
budgets. And because small, open economies, such as
ours, are more volatile than bigger, more closed ones, the
risks of things going badly wrong are ever present.
That is not, I hasten to add, to predict a slump in the near
term; the economy has plenty of momentum and will
almost certainly continue to grow well into next year. But
as economists cannot forecast much beyond a six-month
time horizon with any accuracy, it is incumbent on
governments to be prepared for every eventuality.
The best way to avoid another bout of austerity is for the
public finances to be in the black when the economy is
growing, as it has been for the best part of four years. In
this regard, we can learn from some other small, open
economies which have learnt lessons from their own
painful slumps.
In the 1990s, Finland and Sweden had brutal recessions
not dissimilar to Ireland's after 2008 and have since been
prudent with their public finances. Denmark avoided the
deep slumps its neighbours suffered in the 1990s, but
learnt lessons nonetheless.
In the middle of the last decade, when Ireland was in the
middle of its property bubble, these three countries were
enjoying decent economic growth, albeit nothing on the
scale of Ireland's boom. While the then government here
only just about managed to keep the public finances in the
black (despite massive tax surges), our Nordic cousins
were prudently spending much less than they were taking
in.
On the eve of the crisis in 2007, for instance, the Irish
government had a budget surplus to the tune of 0.3pc of
GDP. Sweden's surplus was 11 times bigger, at 3.3pc of
GDP. The Danes had a buffer 17 times bigger, at 5pc. The

prudent Finns were running a surplus slightly larger again,

of 5.1pc of their GDP.
They all suffered when the Great Recession struck in 2008,
but none had to endure as much austerity as Ireland and
none come close to having to seek a humiliating bailout.
Good economics usually makes for good politics. So it is in
managing the public finances. That's because people give
little thanks to politicians when things go well, but heap
lots of blame on them when times are hard.
If there has to be a return to austerity over the medium
term, there will be hell to pay. The best way to avoid that
is to do what the Nordics do when times are good - get out
of the red and into the black.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/dan-obrien/borrowingfor-everyday-spending-has-become-a-hard-habit-to-break35069283.html

Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for

Housing and Homelessness
Jul 19, 2016
Rebuilding Ireland is an action-driven plan that will result in a
dramatic increase in the delivery of homes nationwide.
Ambitious and inventive in its reach, and radical in its
approach, this significant Government priority will deal with the
under supply of housing and the effect it has on people and
communities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rAPWcpUE3E

Image: Sam Boal

/Photo Text content

MORE THAN 200 extra emergency beds are to be made
available for people living on the streets before Christmas,
the government announced today.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney promised the
accommodation increase just days after figures showed
there is a record number of rough sleepers in Dublin.
In total, Coveney said between 210 and 230 additional
beds will be available from November through to
December.
I anticipate we may need them, he said.

Follow

Christina Finn

Simon Coveney says ahead of winter period 210-230 beds

for single homeless adults available from Nov - Jan
12:49 PM - 22 Sep 2016

1 1 Retweetlikes

Source: Christina Finn/Twitter

He said he wanted to ensure no one was left sleeping on

the streets this winter.
In July, the minister launched the Rebuilding Ireland
housing action plan, which contained commitments such
as ending the use of hotels for emergency accomodation.
Our first priority is to move homeless families out of
inappropriate hotel and B&B arrangements. In order to do
this we need alternative accommodation as quickly as
possible, said Taoiseach Enda Kenny today.

Action plan
Coveney denied that there was nothing new in his plan,
stating that now they have results to show, while Julys
plan was very much about policy.
The minister said another launch will be held in the
coming weeks on another pillar of the plan social
housing. He said it is vital the public knows that targets
are being met and houses are being delivered.
I think if we dont do that this plan will remain
aspirational and wont have credibility.
He said since July, 737 properties have been referred to
the Housing Agency for potential acquisition. To date, the
agency has made bids in respect to 96 of these properties
and 49 have been accepted.
At least 1,500 rapid housing units for homeless families
will be in place or under construction by the end of 2018.

According to the Cork deputy, 320 homes will be under

construction or completed by the end of this year. Building
will begin next month at sites in Ballyfermot, Drimnagh,
Belcamp and Finglas, he added.
Father Peter McVerry of the homeless charity, the Peter
McVerry Trust, said he would reserve his applause for

now. He asked the minister why rapid build homes were

taking so long? Coveney said delays were caused as sites
had to be found and planning permission had to be
approved.
Coveney said there were also some hold ups in relation to
communities objecting to rapid home builds in their area,
giving Ballymun as an example.

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The minister said he expected there would be more

objections with future sites, but he said the government
would power through.
Other promises outlined today included:
The expansion of the HAP Homeless Tenancies to
deliver 550 homes in 2016 and 1,200 next year.
The purchase of 1,600 vacant homes by the Housing
Agency to provide permanent homes for homeless
families. (The body has acquired 171 so far with another
730 at offer stage. A bid has been accepted in 49 of these
cases.)
An increase in the number of social housing units
available with 47,000 homes the target for 2021.
Coveney claimed today that housing authorities have

helped a record number more than 1,350 people exit

homelessness so far in 2016. He described the figure as
being testament to the good work being done.

Follow

Christina Finn

Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking about new initiatives to

solve the crisis - 200 additional emergency beds and 320
rapid build homes
12:31 PM - 22 Sep 2016

1 1 Retweet1 1 like

Source: Christina Finn/Twitter

Government action
Minister Coveney was joined by his Cabinet colleagues to
announce a three-tiered approach to the homelessness
crisis.
Health Minister Simon Harris, Minister for Mental Health

Helen McEntee and Childrens Minister Katherine

Zappone also had separate announcements to make today.
Harris today pledged an additional 2 million to support
services for homeless people.
This figure is set to treble to over 6 million next year. The
health minister also said additional funding will now be
provided for additional supports for pregnant homeless
women.
Zappone also announced that in order to prevent children
who leave state care ending up homeless, her department
will be overseeing that every child gets a dedicated social
worker.
Extra responsibilities for this have been given to the the
Child and Family Agency, Tusla.

Free travel
Free travel cards are to be provided to families and
children who are living in emergency accomodation from
mid-October, said Minister Zappone.
She said the cards will be valid for 24 hours and will
enable families to go on day trips.
When asked if she thought some homeless families might

find the measure insulting, Zappone said this is a

response needed to allow children live normally and make
the whole experience of living in emergency accomodation
less difficult.
Planning permission laws
Coveney previously announced that new legislation is to be
introduced in the coming days that will see the planning
process speeded up.
He said decisions have to be made faster in order to get
construction up and running. A pre-planning phase is to
be introduced which should ensure planning applications
made by developers are of a higher standards, said the
minister.
The pre-planning stage is to take between 8-10 weeks, and
a decision by An Bord Pleanala is to be made within 16
weeks. Extra resources will be given to the the board, he
said.
There will be higher quality applications by developers
otherwise it [the planning application] will be thrown
out, Coveney told a housing conference in Cork recently.
Broken promises
In 2011, Taoiseach Enda Kenny pledged to end
homelessness by 2016. Today, he denied that he had
utterly failed in carrying through on his promise to the
Irish people.
I accept that we havent ended homelessness by any
means, said Kenny.
He defended the homeless plan stating that it is
unprecedented in scale in terms of financial supports.
Kenny said it cannot be implemented without a
comprehensive response from all departments and
officials.

File photo
Image: Shutterstock/David Wingate

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/Photo Text content

THE NUMBER OF rough sleepers in Dublin is at an alltime high, according to new figures from the Dublin Simon
Community (DSC).
Some 168 people were counted sleeping rough in the
capital overnight, a 32% increase in the last year. This
figure does not include the 60 people without a bed in
Merchants Quay Irelands night caf.
The DSC released its 2015 annual report today, which
includes the following statistics:
10% of people moved out of emergency
accommodation into a home
59% of people in emergency accommodation have
been homeless for more than two years
31% increase in those accessing addiction treatment
services
46% increase in housing capacity (through opening
and acquiring 109 new properties in 2015)
59% increase in those accessing emergency
accommodation
Speaking today, Sam McGuinness of the DSC confirmed

the charitys commitment to the Governments Housing

and Homeless Action Plan, Rebuilding Ireland, however
he stressed the need for detail on specifics in how longterm homelessness will be addressed.
As you walk the streets of Dublin, the numbers of people
who are rough sleeping each night is very apparent. We
were shocked to see the average number of people bedding
down jump from 80 in August 2015 to 106 in August 2016.
Looking to our numbers this month, we are averaging at
150 so far in September, with the figure at 168 this
morning. This does not include the 60 people without a
bed in the Merchants Quay night caf. These numbers are
similar to rough sleeping figures in December 2014, which
were the highest since the official Dublin Region Homeless
Executive counts began.
With emergency beds across the city operating at full
capacity each night, rapid housing and support for
individuals is urgently needed to get people off the streets
to safety and to tackle the bottleneck in emergency
accommodation.
People have become trapped in the revolving door of
homelessness and the short-term measure of emergency
accommodation has become long-term. If we look at our
emergency services for 2015, there was only a one in 10
chance of moving out of emergency accommodation into a
home, with 90% of our residents deemed long-term
homeless (longer than six months) and a shocking 59%
homeless for more than two years.
McGuinness said the DSC is confident that Rebuilding
Ireland will have a real and positive impact on the people
who are being devastated by the homeless crisis.
In particular, the commitment to return 1,600 vacant
properties to use by 2020 and the tripling of targets for
Housing First in Dublin to 300 tenancies by 2017, plus
1,500 rapid build homes for families due by the end of
2018 is critical.
We are also extremely encouraged by the increase in the
target for social housing from 35,000 to 47,000 units, with

a 40% increase in the social housing budget for direct

builds by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY, Housing Minister Simon
Coveney and other Cabinet members have announced
details of the governments housing plan this afternoon.
It includes a plan to spend over 5 billion on social
housing over the next five years. Hotels will only be used
in limited circumstances to provide accommodation for
homeless families from next year, the government is
pledging.
The new social housing units would be in mixed tenure
developments, Coveney said meaning social housing
would be placed in areas where people also own their
homes outright.
When driving into estates you are not going to know the
difference, the minister said.
Follow

TheJournal Politics

Coveney says biggest ambition in plan is creating mixed

tenure developments
2

1:39 PM - 19 Jul 2016

8 8 Retweets5 5 likes

Source: TheJournal Politics/Twitter

The housing plan was one of the marquee projects

announced in the programme for government. Published
in May, that document set out an aim of building 25,000
new houses a year by 2020. Last year, building on just
8,000 homes was begun.

In the next five years, we are going to provide about

50,000 more social houses for our people, Coveney said.
This is about integrating communities so they can live
together, grow up together and not be segregated on the
basis of what they can afford and where they can afford to
live.
View image on Twitter

Follow

TheJournal.ie

These are the five 'pillars' the government plans to

address in its housing plan:
http://
bit.ly/29QURcF
2:02 PM - 19 Jul 2016

5 5 Retweets2 2 likes

Source: TheJournal.ie/Twitter

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The plan is set out in five pillars summarised under the

following headings in the official report:
Address homelessness
Accelerate social housing
Build more homes
Improve the rental sector
Utilise existing housing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rAPWcpUE3E

Image: Shutterstock/Mariusz Gwizdon

/Photo Text content

RENT SUPPLEMENT IS to increase in rural and urban
areas from this Friday.
Announcing the measure, the Minister for Housing Simon
Coveney and the Minister for Social Protection Leo
Varadkar said the rise in the new limits will mean people
who cannot afford the full rent in private accommodation

will get more help from the State.

There will be an increase in the rent limit across Ireland,
with a 29% average increase in Dublin (outside of Fingal).
Laois and Roscommon will see a 25% increase, while
Leitrim, Cork City, Longford and Galway City seeing a 21%
increase.
Westmeath, Kildare, and Louth will see an average
increase of 19%, while Cavan and Donegal will have a 15%
in the rent limit.

Source: Sam Boal

Giving an example of what this will mean for families in

reality, Coveney said a single mother with one child in
Cork will see her payment go from 700 to 900 per
month.
That is a significant increase, he said.
Currently there are about 56,000 people on rent allowance
and another 11,000 on housing assistance payments. It
costs 267 million each year.
This new measure will cost 15 million in 2016.

Follow

TheJournal Politics

Minister Varadkar announcing the increase in rent

supplement today
12:29 PM - 28 Jun 2016

6 6 Retweets9 9 likes

Source: TheJournal Politics/Twitter

Coveney said rather than put a 15% increase across the

board, they decided to increase the limit in areas of the
country where there has been a widening gap.
We need to keep people in their current accommodation,
he said.
The formula for calculating the increase in the payment
was not plucked from the sky, said Varadkar.
The increase is based on the declared rents made to the

Residential Tenancies Board.

It is not the average rent on Daft, it is not the maximum
rent on Daft, said Varadkar.
There is a need to keep people in their current
accommodation, if at all possible, said Coveney.
Push rents up?
The Minister for Social Protection said the previous
government had voiced concerns that increasing rent
supplement would push up rents for others.
Varadkar said this is no longer a concern as this
government has created rent certainty for renters with the
two year rent increase cap and due to their housing action
plan.
Where there are particular circumstances where someone
is at risk of losing their house or apartment they can come
to the Department of Social Protection, said Varadkar. He
said enhanced payments, above the rent supplements, can
be made in those circumstances, at the departments
discretion.
Increases will also be made to the Housing Assistance
Payment (HAP) from Friday.
HAP, which is currently in 19 local authorities, will soon
be rolled out to every local authority in the country. This
system will replace the rent supplement system.
The HAP system is a form of social housing support for
people who have a long-term housing need. It
allows people getting HAP to take up full-time
employment and keep their housing support.
Barriers to getting people back to work
Varadkar acknowledged today that the rent supplement
scheme has barriers to getting long-term unemployed
people back to work.
Rent Supplement is calculated to ensure that your income
after paying rent does not fall below a minimum level. If
your circumstances change such as increasing your
income you may no longer qualify for rent supplement.
He said they could not wait for the HAP system to be
rolled out to make these changes, as action in the housing

crisis was needed now.

Claiming all the credit
Increasing rent supplement was a key point of discussion
in the government formation talks between Fianna Fil
and Fine Gael.
Follow

Fianna Fil

At long last Fine Gael recognise the need to increase rent

supplement. This should have been done years ago as we
repeatedly requested.
8:14 AM - 28 Jun 2016

7 7 Retweets11 11 likes

Source: Fianna Fil/Twitter

Fianna Fil have come out to take credit for the increase in
rent supplement being announced.
Coveney said what was on the table in the Trinity talks was
a 15% increase across the board, however he said a lot of
work has been done since and his party was happy to agree
with Fianna Fil on the issue at the time.
View image on Twitter

Follow

Fianna Fil

Fianna Fil secures Rent Supplement increase http://

bit.ly/290FRUZ
2

11:27 AM - 28 Jun 2016

8 8 Retweets2 2 likes

Source: Fianna Fil/Twitter

Giving his thoughts on Fianna Fil taking the credit today,

he said:
Thats politics Fianna Fil will take credit for things,
they did input on this, thats true. I think both parties
agreed that it was the right thing to do at the end of this
conversation. Both our parties deserve to take some credit,
but we are the government that has to make sure the

numbers add up in terms of finding 55 million for this.

Todays news has been welcomed by Focus Ireland, but
questioned it might be too little too late.
The group warned that because the issue of rent
supplement has been neglected for so long, even this
substantial move may not match market rents in parts of
Dublin and other cities.
Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy Mike Allen said Focus
Ireland have been calling for an increase in rent
supplement for years, and while welcoming the increase,
he said it is just one short-term measure to help tackle the
crisis and is not the full solution.
The Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local
Government Homelessness Report July 2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homel
ess_report_-_july_2016.pdf

MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Leo Varadkar has

said the government does not make unpopular decisions
for the sake of it or because we think it is great craic.
Speaking at a careers fair in Dublin today, Varadkar said
being in government means making tough and sometimes
unpopular decisions.
Fine Gael ministers and his independent colleagues in
government understand that, he said.
I dont think they [the independents] need to accept that. I
think they already do, as we do, that government have to
make unpopular decisions, because they are the right
decisions to make.
We dont make unpopular decisions for the sake of it, or
because we think its great craic. We make unpopular
decisions because they are the right things to do in the
long-term.

Ahead of the Fine Gael parliamentary party think-in next

week, reporters also asked Varadkar about his ambitions
to be party leader.
He responded:
I can only give the same answer I always give you there
is no vacancy and if and when a vacancy arises I will make
that decision.
However, when pressed on the issue, he spoke candidly
about his vision for the future.
There is no vacancy at the moment. If and when a vacancy
arises, or rather when a vacancy arises, I will assess my
position at that point.
I have a particular vision as to what I would like to do with
the party and where I think the country should go and I
would have to see at that point in time whether there is
sufficient support for that but now is not the time for
that. My focus now is my job in Social Protection
Lack of unity
The current Cabinet has been criticised for their lack of
unity on issues such as the Apple tax appeal and, leading
up to the summer break, the proposed abortion legislation.

Varadkar acknowledged those issues today, but said the

difficulties faced in those situations only helped us to
learn.
He said overcoming such problems made him confident
the upcoming Budget will be passed by Cabinet.
I think we will get the Budget through. You know, this
coalition has been a learning curve for everyone, not just
for independent ministers, but also for Fine Gael.
We are very much dealing with independents in
government for the first time in a very long time and in
addition to that, the fact [that] we have a minority
situation in the Dil
Apple
Speaking about last weeks split in Cabinet in relation to
the Apple tax appeal, he denied it was proof that ministers
were at loggerheads.
It was a delay of a couple of days I dont think it was
necessarily a bad thing.
The minister said the delay allowed ministers to reflect on
their decision.
In the end, the decision to appeal the European

Commissions ruling on Apples tax in Ireland was fully

backed by all Cabinet members. That motion to appeal is
due to be debated in the Dil tomorrow.
Budget talk
With Budget talks expected to take up a lot of attention
over the next couple of weeks, Varadkar was quick to
acknowledge the importance of his independent Cabinet
colleagues.
As Fine Gael ministers, we need to understand too that the
independent side are part of the government and they
need to be consulted on key decisions. We certainly cant
take them or the Dil for granted.

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has described as

shocking new figures which suggest the number of
homeless people in Ireland has reached a new record.
The Dublin Simon Community counted 168 people
sleeping on the streets on Monday night. A further 60
were sleeping on the floor of the Merchants Quay night
cafe.
Mr Coveney likened solving the homelessness crisis to
trying to empty a bath of water while the taps are
running full on.
Simon Community chief executive Sam McGuinness
said the total number of homeless in Dublin last night
was 228.
Thats an extraordinary number. Thats not an
extraordinary coincidence. These people genuinely
dont have a place to stay and all of the beds in rented
accommodation - which have been increased - are all
in use, he said.
Recently, the Simon Community found some rough
sleepers who did not have sleeping bags as well as
growing numbers sleeping in Merrion Square and St
Stephens Green.
In response, Mr Coveney identified a fundamental lack
of supply as the key reason why there is a housing

crisis at present.
Mr Coveney admitted he was not surprised by the
figures having visited the streets last week where
people are homeless.
It is my job to get those numbers down. We have a lot
to do, he said.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships,
Mr Coveney said emergency accommodation will be
increased in advance of the winter.
In addition, 200 new rapid-build homes will be
available before the end of the year.
We need to press ahead aggressively with some rapid
built projects by the end of the year.
Mr Coveney said they were on target for the year in
terms of homeless provision, but we are simply seeing
more and more people declaring themselves
homeless.
The State needs a more comprehensive response and
thats what Rebuilding Ireland (An Action Plan for
Housing and Homelessness) is all about.
I have always said that this is not going to be solved
overnight. It is going to take some time. We are going
to try and do it as quickly as we can. It is the number
one priority for this Government.
There is far more urgency in Government than there
ever was before, but it is going to take some time.
Mr Coveney said the Government is committed to
rapidly ramping up social housing provision.
Some 400 social housing units are being built in Cork
city over the coming months, he said.
When asked if he felt ashamed as a minister because of
the homelessness crisis, he said: I dont accept that in
a modern society with the resources that are available,
we should have as many people as we currently have
living on the streets.
My Request for information on the LP.T. on how much of it

collected in Co.Kildare goes to the council ? With some

councilors wanting the raise the L.P.T ,,,,,,,,
Date: 22/09/2016
Re: Request under Freedom of Information Act 2014
FOI - Request for information on how much of LPT goes to
Irish Water & how much in %and goes to Water Charges
Freedom of Information Reference : 16/81
A Chara
I refer to the Request which you have made under the
Freedom of Information Act for
records held by this Council in respect of 16/81.
A Final Decision on your Request was made by Veronica
Cooke on 22/09/2016 who may be
contacted by telephone on 045 980242 or by e-mail at
Vcooke@kildarecoco.ie or in writing
at Kildare County Council, FOI - General, Aras Chill Dara,
Devoy Park, Naas, County
Kildare).
In response to your Request the Decision Maker has
decided to REFUSE access
Is Mise Le Meas
..
Veronica Cooke
FOI General
Pac net group USA Agency Fruad

A 'sugar tax' might fund a

few election promises - but
it won't make us healthier
The food and drinks lobby says there
are better ways to deal with Irelands
sugar problem.

BY PAUL KELLY
DIRECTOR, FDII
FEBRUARY 23RD 2016 4 MIN READ

ELECTIONS CAN BRING out the worst in

politics.
Electorates understandably
demand immediate action to address serious
problems and politicians feel the need
to provide simple solutions.
Populism triumphs in the short term, even if
the simple solution provided fails to deliver the
desired outcome. This is certainly the case
when it comes to proposals for a sugar tax.

An additional tax on soft drinks is now being

proposed by all of the major political parties.
The proposal characterises industry as the
root cause of the problem and in the process
generates a revenue stream that can be used
to deliver other election promises.
It may generate headlines, but it is deeply
misleading to suggest that an additional tax
would in any way address the growing and
worrying problem of obesity. It provides cover
for the political system, but fails to offer a
real solution.
Real results will only come from measures that
have been shown to work, like reformulation
(changing recipes to reduce salt, sugar and
fat), consumer education and the promotion of
physical activity.
Theres no simple solution and unfortunately
no easy fiscal silver bullet. Its a complex
problem that demands a far-reaching,
determined response.

The wrong approach

Ireland already imposes high taxes on soft
drinks. While most foods are exempt from VAT,
the standard rate of 23% applies to
confectionary items like sweets, chocolate,
crisps, ice cream and soft drinks.
An additional tax on soft drinks would leave
Irish consumers out of pocket, paying one of
the highest tax rates in Europe. Any new tax, if
introduced, would inevitably be increased yearon-year and extended to other foods and
would leave consumers paying significantly
more every week for the products they love.
These taxes would be highly regressive, with a

disproportionate impact on low-income

families that spend a higher proportion of
income on food. Taxes are also blunt
instruments penalising all consumers
regardless of their lifestyle, state of health or
the balance of their diet.
The Danish government has recognised this
as a flawed approach and in 2013 it withdrew
a saturated-fat tax after only one year and
scrapped proposals for a sugar tax because of
concerns about inflation, cross-border trade
and the risk to jobs.
The much-lauded soft drinks tax in Mexico has
only reduced average calorie intake by 4.7
calories a day which is significantly less than
the reformulation efforts of industry.
Undermining the calls for taxes is the fact that
no causal link has ever been established
between additional tax on soft drinks and
reduction in obesity. The stark reality is that
there is significant evidence to suggest that
taxes, in particular discriminatory taxes, are an
ineffective approach to tackling complex diet

and lifestyle-related problems.

Source: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Do what works
For a number of years the food industry has
worked in partnership to reduce salt levels with
the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
That successful model is the way to address
the obesity problem.

2
2
2

It is a protracted, slow process, but it works.

The food industry has invested millions of euro
in improving existing products by reducing
levels of salt, sugars, fats, saturates and trans
fats. Most of this is done on a continuous
basis by changing recipes and bringing
consumers with you.
New products tend to be lower in fats, sugars
and salt, and most products now have an
improved range of portion-size offerings.
Last month the Minister for Health launched a
report compiled by leading analysts
Creme Global. It used data on 600 products
from 14 of Irelands major food and beverage
companies and was supported by the FSAI. It
showed that during the seven years (2005
2012) covered by the research:
Salt content of the products analysed reduced
by 37%
Sugar content fell by 14%
The amount of energy as measured in calories
sold over the seven years to 2012 reduced by
12%
Total fat and saturated fat intake reduced by

approximately 10%

A Coca-Cola designated driver campaign from 2013.

Source: Leon Farrell/RolingNews.ie

A supplementary report on soft drinks found

that the beverage industry in Ireland has taken
massive steps to reduce the amount of sugar
through increased promotion of low and no
calorie products which now account for 50%
of the Irish market and reformulation of
existing products.
Between 2005 and 2012 the analysis shows

that the beverage industry has reduced sugar

in their products by approximately 10% at no
cost to the consumer.
Paul Kelly is the director of Food and Drink
Industry Ireland, the countrys main trade body
for the food and drink sector.
https://fora.ie/sugar-tax-ireland-2617563-Feb2016

Brendan Howlin on
Labour's disastrous
election and why it
happened
Cormac McQuinn Twitter
PUBLISHED
22/09/2016

1
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin

BRENDAN Howlin said his partys

disastrous election happened in part
because many Irish people had stopped
listening to Labour.
You couldn't make this up ... heres this twat Howlin on
about how WE didn't listen ... we did Brendan you
fckwitt ... we heard your party say things like "Vote Labour
protect child benefit" "we won't be taking medical cards
from those in need" "we refuse to bail out jnr bond
holders" "Ireland will fight austerity" and on and on and
on.

Mr Howlin said Labours contribution to the recovery of

the economy was a significant achievement and
highlighted a halving of the unemployment rate during its
time in power.
However, in a speech to party members at their Dublin

think-in he said: when it came to the election, none of

these achievements of which we are so proud mattered
very much.
The party returned with just seven seats in the Dil
down form more than 30 in Februarys poll.
He said that Labour needs to be honest enough to
recognise why this happened, conceding the party didnt
always deliver and didnt get everything right.
Mr Howlin said his job now is a simple one, to rebuild the
Labour Party.
He said it wont be easy but that through progressive
policies and grassroots campaigning they can rebuild what
he described as this historic party of ours.
He said there is currently "chaos" in the political system
and that that the country has a do-nothing Dil. He
added that if the government survives at all, these will be
known as the lost years.
Earlier Mr Howlin spoke to reporters and was asked if he
believes Labour will be forgiven by voters, similar to how
Fianna Fil saw a resurgence in support at the election.
He said: If Fianna Fils sin was destroying the country,
Labours sin is recovering it.
I think its a lesser sin.
We do need to talk to people. We need to hear people. We
need to hear their fears, their concerns [about] what the
future will hold for them.
He said anything can happen when asked if he would
consider merging the party with the Social Democrats.
Mr Howlin said that while hes not looking for people to
join simple to add to the partys numbers, there is an
open invitation for those who share Labours values to
join.
During his speech Mr Howlin spoke of his optimism for
the country saying Irish people should not undersell our
achievements in the centenary year of 1916.
He said Ireland is ranked 12th out of 133 countries in
terms of social progress.
Why not aspire to make the top three in the next ten

years?, he asked.
He said he wants to see better living standards and an
expansion of individual freedoms and highlihgted the
housing crisis, saying it is "not outside our capacity to
address".
And Brendan we never again will listen , ye have fuck all in common
with the working class ye sold yer souls to the rich and elite , I hatte
you and Labour your former Leader dragging a kid through the
courts , Jesus ye fucking traitors ye will never see the light
Omg. We were so gullible, we swallowed all the lies, when the feet
got under the table Ye wagged the FG dog, just as Endaspendants
and FF are doing now... Ye did us no favours. Ye will NEVER get the
chance again. Fool us once etc.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/brendanhowlin-on-labours-disastrous-election-and-why-ithappened-35071730.html
Gerry Adams has said that claims that he was involved in
the murder of Denis Donaldson are a lie.
His comments come after a BBC Spotlight programme
claimed to have evidence that Mr Adams ordered the
killing of the IRA informer.
Its a lie, he said today.
advertisement

And I totally repudiate it and categorically and specifically

deny it.
He added: Its in the hands of my solicitor at this time,
but more importantly we have to look at whats behind
this agenda.
I mean, the person who made this allegation [an]
anonymous, unnamed, self-professed agent of the British
State so whose agenda is that serving?
This was an attempt to rewrite history.
Earlier:
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has called on Gerry
Adams to admit that he was a member of the IRA,
claiming there is "not a child in Ireland" who doesn't
believe this, writes Elaine Loughlin, Political Reporter.
Reacting to the BBC Spotlight investigation aired last
night, which included testimony from an anonymous IRA
agent who alleged that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of
Denis Donaldson, Mr Howlin said: "There is something
surreal about a situation where Gerry Adams maintains he
was never a member of the IRA."

Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships this

morning, Mr Howlin said: "I don't think there is a child in
Ireland who believes that.

"I don't know obviously whether he was involved in the

Donaldson murder at all good, bad or indifferent.
"But when a serious programme that has highlighted
serious matters in the past, many of which have been
latched upon by Gerry Adams and Sinn Fin, who laud the
Spotlight programme when they point the finger at others,
he obviously needs to be clear about the allegations that
were made last night by Spotlight about himself.
"I can think of many instances when Spotlight similarly
used anonymous sources, or clandestine camera work and
so on and when it suited his agenda he was very much in
favour of that."
Elsewhere Taoiseach Enda Kenny was also asked about the
claims when he sat down with reporters this morning.
I have no verification of a claim made by a former IRA
member, he said.

There are issues of Gerry Adams past that only he can

deal with. If he wants to deal with the truth and explain
that to people, then he should do so.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/br
endan-howlin-theres-not-a-child-in-who-believes-thatgerry-adams-wasnt-a-member-of-the-ira-755753.html

Denis OBriens Caribbean

connections revealed in
Bahamas papers
Businessmans associates are acting as directors of six
companies in tax haven
September 22, 16

Colm Keena

Video
The Irish Times looks at some of the Irish links in the latest leak organised by
the ICIJ.

Irish businessman Denis OBrien is linked to property

on the Caribbean island where Dermot Desmond has
been developing an exclusive tourist resort, filings in
the Bahamas indicate.
The corporate registry in the Bahamas, which is
normally difficult to access but the contents of which
have been published by the International Consortium
of Investigative Journalists, show associates of OBrien
acting as directors of six companies in the Caribbean
tax haven.
The Bahamas are a well-known tax haven and there is
nothing illegal about being connected with a company
from that jurisdiction.

There are reasons such as privacy and tax planning for

having a company registered there.
The files show that in May of last year Denise Russell
and Ann Marie Foley OBrien, both with addresses in
Dublin, became directors of Fortress Property (SVG)
Ltd, Sandpiper Enterprises Ltd, and Elderberry
Investment Inc, all of Nassau in the Bahamas.
Russell is a manager with OBriens Irish investment
vehicle, Island Capital, while Foley OBrien is a
consultant who acts as a director of a number of
OBrien companies, including the Irish propertyholding company, Partenay, and the philanthropy
enterprise, the Iris OBrien Foundation.
In the case of Fortress Property and Sandpiper, the two
businesswomen replaced Swiss-Italian banker Antonio
Saladino and Achille Pastor-Ris, chief executive of
Canouan Resorts Development Ltd.
In the case of Elderberry, they replaced Pastor-Ris.
The owners of the companies and their activities are
not disclosed but both Saladino and Pastor-Ris are
involved with the development of a very exclusive
resort on the tiny Caribbean island of Canouan, in the
island nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Desmond is also an investor in the resort but he and
Saladino fell out last year.
Local reports say Saladino is continuing with the
development of the exclusive Pink Sands Club, while
Desmond is continuing with the development of a
marina on the island.
The Pink Sands Club is to open on October 10th. The
26-suite, six-villa hotel will set a new benchmark for a
Caribbean archipelago already synonymous with ultraexclusive hideaways, according to a spokeswoman for
the hotel.

Grandiose

The launch of the hotel completes phase one of a threeyear project costing in excess of $120 million, she said.
The overall project includes the development of a golf
course, villas, a marina, and an extended runway to
accommodate private jets.
A Bahamas company, Canouan Resorts Development
(CRD Ltd), signed a 99-year lease agreement with the
SVG government in 1990 for the development of
Canouan as an exclusive holiday resort.
At one stage Saladino was working in partnership with
the US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, on the
development of the resort, but despite grandiose plans
and significant investment, the project was not a
success.
R

Denis OBrien linked to Caribbean property

Desmond, who part-owns the Sandy Lane Hotel in

Barbados with, among others, JP McManus and John
Magnier, teamed up with Saladino in 2010 on a 50-50
basis.
Not only will yachts, catamarans and powerboats be
available for guests at the Pink Sands, but a private jet
associated with the hotel can be chartered at any
time and comes included for guests staying for ten
nights or more in certain suites or penthouses, the
spokeswoman said. Rates at the hotel start at $1,400 a

night for a one-bedroom suite.

The hotel is adjacent to the 1,200-acre Canouan estate,
which is accessible to all guests and features a
collection of private villas and residences, restaurants,
golf club, and a real estate sales centre.
Each villa has between two and six bedrooms, kitchen
facilities, floor-to-ceiling windows opening out on to
generous sun terraces, and their own infinity-edge
swimming pools.
According to the spokeswoman, it is also possible to
buy villas on the estate and to buy plots of land which
can be built on working with an established designed
team.
According to Grenadinevillas. com, a four-bedroom
villa on Canouan, beside the beach and with a pool, can
be rented for $49,700 a week in high season, and
$44,177 during low season.
Fortress Property was formerly owned by an
investment fund, Fortress Mutual Fund Ltd, which
used it when buying a lot on Canouan in 2008 for $6.6
million as part of its overall investment portfolio.
It sold the company in 2011 and it is not known who
the purchaser was.
OBriens links with the Bahamas go back further than
last year, the registry files indicate.
Russell became a director of Acacia Administration Inc
in December 2011, giving as her address the address on
Grand Canal Quay, Dublin, used by OBriens Irish
companies. Saladino and Pastor-Ris resigned on the
same day. The business of the company is not known.
In March 2012, Foley OBrien replaced Pastor-Ris as
director of Lagoon Two Ltd. Russell, using the Grand
Canal Quay address, became secretary of the company.
The business of Lagoon Two is not disclosed.
However, a number of companies, Lagoon One to
Lagoon Six, all associated with Pastor-Ris, are listed in

the Bahamas registry. One, Lagoon Three Ltd, used the

services of the Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca,
and the leaked files from that firm (the Panama
Papers) show that the company owned villa number
three in the Pinks Sands Club which it held for the
sole use of the unidentified ultimate beneficial owner
and his family.
Foley OBrien and Russell also became directors of
Struron (Bahamas) Ltd in February 2012, the date the
company was incorporated, the registry files show. The
business of the company is not known.

Revenue clash

OBrien is not tax-resident in Ireland and owns a

number of his Irish businesses by way of companies in
the Isle of Man.
Partenay featured in OBriens High Court clash with
the Revenue Commissioners some years ago over
whether he was tax resident here at the time he sold his
Irish telecoms business, Esat Telecom.
OBrien challenged the Revenues view that a house on
Raglan Road, Dublin, owned by Partenay, meant he
had an Irish home as well as one in Portugal in the
2000 tax year.
The court ruled in OBriens favour, reportedly saving
him 57 million in capital gains tax.
His Caribbean and Pacific telecoms company, Digicel,
is incorporated in Bermuda and based in Jamaica and
OBrien is a frequent traveller to the Caribbean for
business reasons.
Canouan Resorts Development Ltd (CRD) owns
approximately 1,200 acres of the 1,800- acre Caribbean
island and the turning of the bulk of the island into a
private development has not been without its political
as well as its commercial difficulties.
According to Terry Bynoe, chairman of the Canouan

Island Development Council, there are approximately

1,500 people living on the island and there have been
issues in more recent times in relation to access to the
beach for locals.
While use of the beach is not prohibited, there are
concerns about right of access along routes that
traditionally have been open to the public, but which
more recently have become gated.

Good relations

A picnic was held on the beach earlier this year, with

the people reaching the beach by boat, in order to
make a point about access.
Bynoe said the difficulty is not with Desmond and the
marina development, with which people have good
relations, but rather with the operators of the hotel.
The picnic was organised after a private dining area
was built near the beach, believed by locals to be
owned by investor Andrea Pignataro. The construction
of the private area produced renewed concerns about
access to the beach, according to Bynoe.
London-based Pignataro is founder of a Dublinregistered entity called Ion Investment Group.
Earlier this year the Carlyle Group, a US multinational
asset manager with $176 billion in assets, paid
approximately $400 million to buy a minority stake in
Ion.
Ion was described at the time as a trading technology
specialist that makes more than 300 million in
profits annually before interest payments and other
cost factors are taken into account.
Filings in the corporate registry in Dublin show that a
number of companies associated with Pignataro and
with the word Canouan in their name, including
Canouan Resort Services Ltd, were incorporated in
March of this year.

A spokesman for Ion said it had no links with

investments in the Caribbean resort.
Requests for comments from OBrien, Desmond,
Saladino, Pastor-Ris, and Pignataro met with no
response.

Michel Martin claims

the elimination of water

charges would not erode

the tax base
Cormac McQuinn Twitter
PUBLISHED
20/09/2016

2
Fianna Fil Leader Michel Martin TD addresses the media prior
to the annual parliamentary party think-in at the Seven Oaks Hotel,
Carlow. Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin has

rejected a European Commission report that
said the elimination of water charges would
erode the tax base.
The Commission's remarks came in its latest post-bailout

report in the Irish economy.

Mr Martin said scrapping water charges is "not an erosion
of the tax base because it's made a very negligible
contribution to the widening of the tax base in the last
three years."
He was speaking after his party's Co Carlow think-in
where he also responded to a study by the Irish Tax
Institute that outlined how workers are paying the top rate
of income tax before their salaries reached the average
industrial wage.
The Fianna Fil TD was asked if the party should rethink
its policy of pushing for spending measures over tax cuts
as a result of the study.
Mr Martin said he was committed to its position that there
should be a 2:1 break-down of spending to tax cuts in the
upcoming Budget.
"There's absolutely no question but that we do have to
invest in health, in education and housing and give people
some decent quality of life in terms of access to those
services," he added.
He said there "is a case" for tax cuts but that a balance has
to be struck.
"We need to be mindful of the risks to the Irish economy
not least the Brexit risks and proceed in a cautious
manner," he added.
Meanwhile he said he doesn't think it will be achievable or
the right policy to abolish the USC in five years as Finance
Minister Michael Noonan today told an Oireachtas
committee he'd like to do.
Mr Martin responded to this saying: "I don't believe it's
achievable".
"We don't believe its the right policy or the right
approach," he said adding that there needs to be a balance
between investing in services and infrastructure and
giving people a break in their taxes.

London-based Pignataro is founder of a Dublinregistered entity called Ion Investment Group.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Commission Notice on the notion of State aid as referred to in Article 107(1) of the
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:52016XC0719(05)&from=EN
Tax rulings under EU State aid rules after Apple- What is targeted
and what can be done? August 31, 2016
http://www.willkie.com/~/media/Files/Publications/2016/08/Tax_rulin
gs_under_EU_state_aid_rules_after_Apple.pdf
New IRS Rules for Money Market Funds & Investor Tax Reporting
August 10, 2016
http://www.willkie.com/~/media/Files/Publications/2016/08/New_IRS_
Rules_for_Money_Market_Funds.pdf
District Court Overturns Bankruptcy Court in Lyondell Fraudulent
Transfer Litigation, Rules CEOs Fraudulent Intent May Be Imputed to
Corporation August 11, 2016
http://www.willkie.com/~/media/Files/Publications/2016/08/District_C
ourt_Overturns_Bankruptcy_Court_in_Lyondell.pdf

FIANNA FIL ARE

RIDICULOUS NOT TO BACK

SINN FIN ON WATER

Donnchadh OLaoghaire TD. Pic: Gavin Browne

A Sinn Fin motion to scrap Irish Water will be

introduced when the Dil returns next week on behalf
of the TDs who have signed up to the Right2Water
platform, which includes Sinn Fin, the Anti-Austerity
AlliancePeople Before Profit, and a number of
independents.
However, it is expected that the motion will fail as
Fianna Fil wont back it, despite indicating at its party
think-in this week that it will vote to abolish charges
when an expert commission reports back next year.
They dont want to give us the platform and they
dont want to embarrass the Government, said Sinn
Fins Cork South Central TD, Donnchadh Laoghaire.
Its a pattern that is emerging, where Fianna Fil are
refusing to support Sinn Fin even when they agree
with us.
Fianna Fil will oppose this motion, which is a
ridiculous position. There is no reason except that they

dont want to embarrass the Government, he added.

Mr Laoghaire said that abolishing water charges
wouldnt have to bring down the Government, and
Fianna Fils agreement to facilitate the minority
coalition could continue without it.
He said that, instead, Fianna Fil was waiting until next
year when it could be the party to pull the trigger on
the abolition.

Fianna Fil leader Micheal Martin

Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin has insisted the party

has not performed a U-turn on its position on water
charges.
Fianna Fil has recently proposed that the water
system be paid for through general taxation and that
charges be scrapped, marking a move away from its
previous position that charges should only be
suspended,
Along with water charges, Mr Laoghaire said that the
Dil will immediately turn to the Budget when it
returns. He said that Sinn Fin will release its preBudget submission in the next 10 days. As the partys
spokesperson for Children and Youth Affairs, he said
that he will be pushing to decrease the cost of
childcare in this Budget, and the party also has plans
to address the housing crisis and support older people
through homecare.

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/fianna-fail-ridiculous-not-backsinn-fein-water/2531928/

Just like Irish Water,

Nama is fast losing the
confidence of taxpayers
Niall O'Connor Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
16/09/2016

1
Anouska Proetta-Brandon takes part in an anti-Nama protest in

2009. Ministers believe a large chunk of the public have never had
confidence in Nama. Photo: Gerry Mooney

As the contents of the Comptroller and

Auditor General's report into the sale of
Project Eagle were laid bare at Wednesday's
Cabinet meeting, the eyes of several
ministers glazed over.
As one Fine Gael figure present put it afterwards: "I felt a
real sense of dj vu. It was like Irish Water all over
again."
Indeed, the controversy that has engulfed Nama and the
sale of its Northern Ireland loan book shares at least some
of the hallmarks of the Irish Water debacle.
Once again we have an agency of the State that is facing
accusations of not acting in the best interests of the
taxpayer.
Similar to the Irish Water controversy, the more populist
members of the Oireachtas are demanding that the
operations of Nama be brought to a halt.
And, as was the case two-and-a-half years ago, the
Government of the day is under serious pressure to get to
grips with the latest scandal that has crossed its desk.
But above all, we now have a situation once again where a
body set up to serve the best interests of the taxpayer is
fast losing public confidence.
In fact, some ministers believe a large chunk of the public
has never had confidence in Nama because it has, since its
formation in 2009, operated under a cloud of unrivalled
secrecy.
Telling an impatient and untrusting public that a body that
handles billions of euro worth of property transactions
must be able to operate in secret won't wash in modernday Ireland.
This is a public that just last month - whether rightly or
wrongly - was told the State coffers have lost out on 13bn
as a result of an alleged sweetheart deal extended to Apple.

Now, according to C&AG Seamus McCarthy, Nama has

signed off on a bad deal in relation to its sale of Project
Eagle to US investment firm Cerberus, leaving the State
nursing a loss of 220m.
The public has every right to feel aggrieved.
After all, they have been presented with details of success
fees involving a former insider Frank Cushnahan, as well
as allegations of a far more sinister nature courtesy of
Mick Wallace and BBC's 'Spotlight' programme.
And so, perhaps like Irish Water, there is now serious
doubt surrounding the prospect of Nama ever winning
over the public's trust.
That is not just one of the major challenges facing Nama
boss Frank Daly and his senior officials, but also Enda
Kenny and Michael Noonan.
Mr Kenny and his party were not responsible for setting
up the country's bad bank but, like a lot of things, they
have inherited it from their predecessors in government.
Without doubt, Mr Kenny and Noonan don't want a
scenario whereby the Nama issue becomes synonymous
with this administration.
And so, the decision by the Government yesterday to agree
a statutory inquiry - in conjunction with the leaders of the
Opposition - should be welcomed.
With law-enforcement agencies investigating in a number
of different jurisdictions, the approach from Dublin is that
an inquiry must not be rushed.
Every effort must now be made to ensure this latest probe
can achieve the one single objective demanded by the
public - unearthing the truth behind Project Eagle.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/just-like-irish-waternama-is-fast-losing-the-confidence-of-taxpayers-35053136.html

Kenny says water charges must stay as FF puts cost

of refunds at 50m
22/09/2016

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has reinforced his support for the

retention of household water charges and accused Fianna
Fil of "populism" in seeking their abolition.
He slammed the rival party's policy, saying that if it came
about "everybody could leave their taps on" and the
taxpayer would have to foot the bill.
Mr Kenny's remarks came as Fianna Fil's environment
spokesman Barry Cowen told the Irish Independent that
his party's proposal to refund those who had paid their
water bills through a tax credit would cost in the region of
50m.
An Expert Commission is currently examining the future of
funding water services under an agreement between Fine
Gael and Fianna Fil. Mr Cowen's party has made a
submission calling for charges to be scrapped and for
those who paid to be refunded.
Mr Kenny said that under these circumstances water
would have to be funded by the central exchequer.
He said he hasn't spoken to Fianna Fil leader Michel
Martin on what he described as the party's "new position"

on water but added that he (Mr Martin) "knows very well

what our position is".
Mr Cowen outlined how those who paid charges would be
refunded if it is ultimately decided to scrap the hated fees.
"You either refund people who have paid through a tax
credit or any other means which they wish to explore or
which they ask us to consider. If it meets the gap that's
there, then we'll accept that," he said.
Mr Kenny was speaking at a wide-ranging briefing for
reporters ahead of his attendance at the National
Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly. He described the
event as "a great pageant of modern Ireland".
The Taoiseach said: "Farmers have had a difficult year and
obviously this is an occasion for them to present the best
of produce and new and innovative ways of doing things".
Mr Kenny spoke of the need for the upcoming Budget to
be Brexit-proofed.
He said Finance Minister Michael Noonan is travelling to
London today to discuss Britain's plan to leave the EU with
his counterpart, Philip Hammond.
He said that indications from British ministers are that the
triggering of Article 50 - the beginning of the process of
leaving the EU - will take place early next year but that it's
a matter for the UK's prime minister Theresa May to
decide.
On the Budget here, he said the sum available for
spending and tax cuts, around 1bn, is "constrained
enough".
"What we want to do with that is decide what are the
issues that you can deal with that will improve the quality
of people's lives," he said, adding that there will be
funding for 800 additional garda and 650 nurses.
Mr Kenny told how Mr Noonan had assured him of his
fitness to work following his hospitalisation for cellulitis
last week.
"If that wasn't the position, he would inform me also and I
trust him completely on that," Mr Kenny added.
The Taoiseach said that ministers Simon Coveney,
Katherine Zappone and Simon Harris will today announce
details of a plan to tackle homelessness, including
measures aimed at ending the use of hotels as emergency
accommodation.

Mr Kenny said that the Citizens' Assembly to discuss the

Eighth Amendment will meet for the first time on
Saturday, October 15 and he looks forward to receiving its
conclusions.
Chaired by Supreme Court judge Mary Laffoy, the
assembly will examine the law that bans abortion and
gives equal status to the life of a mother and an unborn
child.
Mr Kenny said that the north inner city taskforce, which
was set up to support the area amid the spate of gangland
killings this year, is "an issue that I've taken very much to
heart."
He said he's had meetings with the community and that
people's resilience is "quite incredible".
He said the area had been given a "bad name" by a small
group of people.
Mr Kenny brushed off questions on his future leadership of
Fine Gael, saying his focus is on "a very big agenda" in
government.
He said he's not concerned with his legacy and joked: "The
one remaining thing I'd like to do is to see the green and
red take up Sam Maguire at Croke Park".

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/kenny-says-watercharges-must-stay-as-ff-puts-cost-of-refunds-at-50m-35069370.html

Somebody tell Kenny water didn't reach households before IW by the

power of prayer, It was all ways paid for through General taxation. Now
if the Gobaloon state chooses to bail out unsecured Bond holders then
go ahead, But I wont be paying for water twice to facilitate taxation to be
Syphoned off to these bond holders!
Enda stating charges MUST return........ Before the expert commission
advise him on it?
Like Enda's leadership capabilities, it exposes the endapendent
commission for what it is, a farce.
Kenny do you not realise the taxpayer foots the bill anyway, even your
pay check.

Water charge U-turn

shows lessons not learned
from Irish crash
Academic Dr Brigid Laffan says FF switch on issue could
undermine economic recovery
Thursday, September 22, 2016

Academic Dr Brigid Laffan says FF switch on issue could

undermine economic recovery.
The Fianna Fil U-turn on water charges has the capacity
to undermine all of the hard work that made the economic
recovery possible, political scientist Dr Brigid Laffan has
said.

Delivering the Garret FitzGerald Memorial lecture on

Wednesday night, Dr Laffan argued that the State was not
left wanting in hard times when a relatively small cadre of
politicians and public servants found the political and
institutional capacity to address major problems, and bring
Ireland back from the brink.
However, she suggested there were some signs that the
lessons from the bad times had not been learned and
the political system did not appear to have developed
sufficient capacity to guard against the pathologies of the
past.
Dr Laffan, the director of the Robert Schuman Centre for
Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in
Florence, argued that the policy outcome on Irish Water
will be an acid test of the so-called new politics and
there were reasons for serious worry on that score.
The political U-turns on this issue highlight the ease and
dangers of populist politics: The political chain is easily
identified. Paul Murphy frightened Sinn Fin and in turn
Sinn Fin frightened Fianna Fil, she said.
The evolving FF policy is the most worrying of all. Having
argued for a suspension of charges, the party has
apparently moved to support their abolition. It should
remind us of the abolition of domestic rates in the late
1970s rather than their reform.
Detrimental effect
Dr Laffan said that policy choice had a very detrimental
long-standing effect on local services and pushed the
rates burden onto small businesses. It meant that local
services never received sufficient funds from general
revenue.
Abolishing rather than reforming rates was a very poor
policy choice back then and the abolition of water charges
would be a very poor choice now. Its long-term effects
would be incalculable. Literally it could kill people or at
least make them very sick if they do not have clean and
safe water. In the past, funding water through general
taxation failed through neglect. Why should we think it
would be different in future?
Dr Laffan said Fianna Fil had been a remarkably
successful political party by international standards and
while the 2011 election defeat was traumatic, the party

had survived.
But how much has it learnt? History will not be kind to the
successive Fianna Fil governments of the 2000s that bear
a heavy responsibility for the vulnerabilities and risks that
were taken with the wellbeing of this country. The
excesses they encouraged during the Tiger years did
extraordinary damage to Irish society. That instinct and
desire for power, so deep in its DNA, may not have been
tamed sufficiently, she said.
The evolving FF policy on water charges should be
severely tested and contested as it appears to want to
trump for what it thinks is the popular policy at the cost of
doing what is right.
Vocal minority
She said that if water charges were abolished, it would
represent a victory of a vocal minority not a majority. Just
before the election 63 per cent of those covered were
signed up to pay. This is a majority.
People may not have liked another charge in tough times,
but would pay water charges in return for a good
infrastructure that is properly maintained. What is
happening is a case of those who shout loudest getting
their way. That is a democratic deficit.
Dr Laffan said the idea being peddled by anti-water charge
politicians that the people voted to get rid of water
charges was a complete lie and should be challenged.
What message does abolition send out to those who paid
what they owe to the State? No state should lightly favour
those who dont pay over those who have paid. This will
leave a very nasty taste and legacy.
She also pointed out that the abolition of charges would
embroil the country in another very big fight with the
European Commission at a time when it has major issues
on corporation tax.
Right2Water submission to the Expert Commission on Domestic
Public Water Services
http://www.right2water.ie/sites/default/files/media/Right2Water
%20submission%20to%20the%20Expert%20Commission%20on
%20Domestic%20Public%20Water%20Services%20-%20final
%20%281%29.pdf
63% of who paid...plucking figures from the fantasy account book of
IW ... we all know many people paid under duress...and have now
refused to pay again revoking their contracts... would you cop on to
yourself...your right she is a paid shill...

Tax, Lies and Statistical Tape

The run-up to the budget is my favourite time of the year.
Commentary on Irish taxation tends towards the
deliciously deceiving, hilariously spurious or just plain
weird. And the Irish Taxation Institutes Perspectives on
Irelands Personal Tax System doesnt disappoint.
They claim that Irelands taxation levels are too high.
Nope that dont work. The tax rate at various income
levels are low compared to other EU-15 countries.
They claim that Irish tax levels undermine
competitiveness. Nope that doesnt work either. If that
were true, then Germany (and other countries) with much
higher marginal tax rates and total tax rates would be at
the bottom of the competitiveness table and close to the
bail-out zone.
And then theres the attempt to show that Irelands tax
system is too progressive. They use measurements that
are little short of number-mongering. In the same spirit I,
too, come up with a novel measurement proving that the
Irish system contains the mark of Satan.
When you cut through the mush there is an underlying
assumption that tax cuts can buy higher living standards.
Can tax cuts make childcare affordable; reduce rents,
spare us from congestion; eliminate A&E over-crowding;
expand educational opportunities; care for elderly
relations; clean up rubbish piles; equip the Gardai
properly; lift people out of poverty and deprivation; reduce
the costs of medicine you get the picture.
The goods and services that provide security, opportunity
and prosperity require investment, not tax cuts.

Ultimately, we need an informed and evidence-based

debate on taxation. But this is budget season.
So well have to wait awhile.
OUR SEAN TRYING TO REPORT A ROBERY IN KILMUCKCORIGE AND
THE GARDA WERE NOT TO HAPPY

Will ya's have a look at this, over 40 guards assisting Ktech to put a man out of business and put people out out
of work, September 21st 2016

With his opinion Mr. Healy-Ray is displaying that local favour is more
important to him than road safety for all. He of course already knows
that speed camera vans are an effective visible deterrent of bad
behaviour and do have the effect of reducing speed thereby reducing
speed-related risks thereby reducing the likelihood of speed-related
incidents.
If Mr Healy-Ray weren't so short-sighted he would be promoting and
lauding road safety measures like this. After all, for his constituents
these are the very measures that would prevent their traffic incident
injury or even death.
If there was no speed camera van and one or more of his constituents
got severely injured or killed in a traffic incident on the same spot on the
same day, I'm sure he'd be out trumpeting the opposite message Where were the Gardai?! Where were the speed cameras?! My
constituents need road safety!
Then trying to influence via the Superintendent to the effect of
complaining about a speed deterrent confirms that he is not of the
modern safety aware age in his way of thinking
There is no doubt that speed cameras work for both catching people
speeding and making money although the firm that owns the vans say
otherwise. However what is beyond argument is the fact that these vans
were meant to be placed where there was a history of fatalities and road
accidents and that is not the case for example on the N4 at Lucan where
there has never been a fatality in the many years before speed cameras
were introduced and definitely since. I say before cameras were
introduced to help the idiot who adds 2 and 2 and gets 5, saying there
are no fatalities because of the cameras. Furthermore, if you know any
members of the Gardai they will quite happily admit that their sergeants
send them out with speed guns coming towards the end of the month
when the stats need boosting.
I'm not from Kerry but I'd say Michael is the type of fella back there that
you can call on if you have a problem! Say what u like about him but
they voted him, his brother and his father before him to represent them

and even though he come out with the odd statement that's......... he gets
things done for his constituents. You won't hear too many from Kerry
giving out about him unlike more of the td's in the dail!
We all know that these vans are not out to save lives but rather to make
money for those who operate them.
Talking about Kerry, the road from Killarney up to Moll's Gap has a
speed allowance of 100kph. This road is dangerous above 60kph.
Perhaps MHR should be doing something about this.
You are the most self righteous sanctimonious Gobsh#te on this forum.
You have an answer to everyone & everything, it gets nauseating after a
while(. The area this poster is talking about is a very dubious spot as it is
not an accident black spot, the signs are small & out of view & there are
very few of them, it's not an area you can speed on as the traffic is
bumper to bumper there night & day. It really is a spot used as a
revenue exercise rather than its original role. I am against speed & I
generally disagree with the Healy Rae's but I think they make a valid
point as does the poster above. I also know the spot in Kerry well like
the one in Galway from my travels & yes it is another revenue exercise.
By the way I have no penalty points & have only ever had 3 when they
came into force first.
Has there ever been speed vans outside Rathkeale? Just wondering.

Large garda presence at

shop subject to
repossession order
Amy Molloy
PUBLISHED
21/09/2016

2
Picture: Facebook

There is a large garda presence outside a

shop in Co Wexford this morning where a
repossession order is being carried out.
Goods are currently being removed from Corrigans
Londis in Kilmuckridge by a number of security personnel
and loaded on to trucks.
The operation began at 5am this morning and is expected
to continue until midday.
A number of anti-eviction groups are protesting against
the repossession order and a source told Independent.ie
that the high garda presence is to ensure there are no
breaches of the peace.

Garda tried to repossess the shop last October with KTech

Security following the issue of a court order.
Their efforts were subsequently thwarted as they were
outnumbered by a large crowd of ant-eviction protesters
who reclaimed the supermarket.
A source said garda were determined to ensure this didn't
happen again and have cordoned off the entire shop while
the goods are removed from the supermarket.
A number of locals have huddled around the shop and are
watching on as the repossession is carried out.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/large-garda-presence-atshop-subject-to-repossession-order-35067069.html

Minister Michael Noonan has finally agreed to go before

the Public Accounts Committee to discuss the sale of

NAMA's Northern Irish loanbook. But in recent days, his

cabinet been arguing against it. On RT One's, Leo
Varadkar claimed: "To the best of my knowledge,

Report of Investigation into the Administration

of Deposit Interest Retention Tax [DIRT] and
Related Matters during the period 1 January
1986 to 1 December 1998
Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General
19 July 1999

http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL047
077.pdf
Arms Crisis inquiry 21_22_april_1971 1971, then Minister
for Agriculture and Fisheries James (Jim) Gibbons, was
examined as a witness before the PAC
http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2016/09/armscrisisinquiry21
_22_april_1971.pdf

Irish Fiscal Advisory Council

Engagement with Office for Budget
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates
%20Authoring/WebAttachments.nsf/
($vLookupByConstructedKey)/committees~20160622~CA
B/$File/Daily%20Book%20Unrevised.pdf?openelement
SELECT COMMITTEE ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR BUDGETARY
SCRUTINY With DEPUTY JOHN PAUL PHELAN IN THE CHAIR.
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates
%20Authoring/WebAttachments.nsf/
($vLookupByConstructedKey)/committees~20160622~CA
B/$File/Daily%20Book%20Unrevised.pdf?openelement
Daily Book Unrevised Department of the Environment,
Community and Local Government and the County and
City Management Association
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates
%20Authoring/WebAttachments.nsf/
($vLookupByConstructedKey)/committees~20160602~CH
H/$File/Daily%20Book%20Unrevised.pdf?openelement

Child Protection and Welfare Policy and Practice Document

for Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) and Centres
under contract to RIA
http://www.ria.gov.ie/en/RIA/Revised%20Child
%20Protection%20&%20Welfare%20Policy%20for
%20Accommodation%20Centres%20(October
%202014).pdf/Files/Revised%20Child%20Protection%20&
%20Welfare%20Policy%20for%20Accommodation
%20Centres%20(October%202014).pdf
To argue in favour of water charges while there hasn't
been a referendum is not only to argue in favour of
domestic charges, it's to be pro-privatisation, because
that's the inevitable outcome.

We know what they want, we know FF, FG, LB will not support
motion to abolish iw. We know they want to privatise our water, and
in all likelihood the deal has long been done, behind our backs of
course. We know if the money squandered into keeping the quango
iw afloat could have provided quality water supply if actually used
wisely instead of for forcing metres on us. Now they want another

660mil to fill the holes in this sinking toxic company!

We refuse to pay, boycott iw charges, and the snakes up in leinster
house take our public funds and funnel them back into this hated
money pit. While people go homeless, hungry and every other
knockon result of austerity continues. This is an absolute insult to
each ans everyone of us.
What I want to know is what are we going to do about it? Are we
going to let this happen? Are we going to allow these clowns to
drain more public monies into that cesspit iw? Enough of this lunacy,
its time for full on action, nonstop til mission complete, do you think
the enemy iw has stopped planning its dirty sneaky tactics to force
its will upon us? No of course not, so why do we? Time to up the
anti. This is going on way too long now, and all the while this
parasitic quango is sucking us dry!
We do not live in a democracy because democracy is government
by the people for the people. If we had a functioning democracy
water charges would be long gone. Instead we have an oligarchy.
Our country is run by a small and privileged elite for corrupt and
selfish purposes. In particular, Fine Gael hold the majority of the
population in contempt. That is illustrated by the way they use the
word 'populism' as a derogatory term. Populism means a belief in
the power of regular ordinary people and in their right to have
control over their government, rather than a small group of political
insiders or a wealthy elite. If your so called democratically elected
government sees that as something to be ignored or derided then
they are oligarchs not democrats.
ight2Waters Submission to the EXPERT Commission on Domestic
"Public" Water Service's. Can I ask WHY do you want to change the
CONSTITUTION and ADD the line "In the Public Interest" ....
WHY do want to GIVE CONTROL of OUR water to the Government TO
SELL when they need POCKET MONEY. .
I'll await a answer.

GARDA HQ PEOPLES ASSEMBLY SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER @ 3pm.

Please join with ACT - Anti Corruption Taskforce outside Garda HQ in
Phoenix Park, Dublin 8. While there we will read out the names of
some people who mysteriously died in Garda custody over a decade
from the late 1990s. We will also call for the immediate resignation
of Garda Commissioner Norin O' Sullivan and an immediate end to
the intimidation of Garda whistleblowers by Garda senior
management
After Mondays success by Dr Stephen Manning in the Criminal Court
of Justice, for permission to summon garda for assault on citizens,
there is a flood of applications now in process, i think the guards are
going to be sorry for what they have done over the past few years.
People think that they cannot summons garda once 6 months has
lapsed, this is not the case in all cases, if you are assaulted and
injured you can sue the guards in a reasonable time frame and they
should be charged under section 3 of the non fatal offences against
the person act 1997. People who were arrested without due cause,
and others who were never charged after they were arrested can
sue the guards for unlawful detention under the same act if
convicted on indictment the sentence can be life in prison . I can't
see any of them getting life but they will get custodial sentences
once convicted and then lose their jobs and their pensions. I was in
court supporting Stephan on Monday and judge Smyth had great
sympathy for people who were man handled in a rough manner by
the guards, there was video evidence of the guards in action. Which
will be used against them when the trial starts. I would prefer these
cases would not take place but the offending guards are to blame,
and the guards must stop their Nazi type tactics. No one is above
the law in Ireland we must make sure that is the case

STATEMENT FROM THE

DOCK FROM THE

CHILD JOAN BURTON
WANTS TO LOCK UP.
Posted on September 21, 2016 by Bogman's Cannon

(NEW & EXCLUSIVE READ JUROR 791s response

to her exclusion from the fake trial of
Seanie Fitzpatrick here Only on Bogmans Cannon,
the home of sedition)

Im a 17 year old student from Jobstown studying Arts. I

cant speak to you today or be identified because of the
seriousness of the charges against me in court tomorrow.
Since I was 14, Ive been involved in trying to make
improvements in my community. Ive been involved in
Young Social Innovators, residents associations and I
received the Gaisce silver medal for my community work.
I attended the protest against Joan Burton in Jobstown two
years ago to express my opposition to water charges and
austerity. Isnt it significant that where the protest took
place was outside a food bank. This is what Joan Burtons
Labour Party promises did to Jobstown and the rest of the
country.
This was a protest that hundreds of people attended, but
only 23 people were charged. One of them is in the
Childrens Court on Monday which is me. The trials of
the others start next April. The total cost to the public will
be millions of euros to pursue these prosecutions.
Im charged with false imprisonment. This time next week I
could be sentenced to prison. This would have a major
impact on my future, including my career choices with a
serious criminal conviction for the rest of my life. How
many other 17 year olds do you know who are facing
prison for standing up for their rights?
Over the past year, this has had a major impact on my
studies. Its impacted on my Leaving Cert. All because I
expressed my political beliefs at a peaceful protest!
A lot of people have said to me, its not going to happen.
In my mind, its not going to happen, means its not going
to happen at all. But it is happening now. The dawn raids

happened, the arrests happened, the summons

happened, the courts happened and now the trial is
happening. It is happening! Now people are still telling us
that you wont go to prison. Well isnt that what they said
about me not getting arrested.
I dont believe this is just about me. Its a much broader
issue. Its about the right to stand up for your beliefs. If you
dont have the right to protest, what other rights will be
taken away?
I need your support to ensure that an injustice isnt done to
me and all of us next week. I want to appeal to everybody
here today to do your utmost to come to the protest on
Monday at 10am outside the Childrens Court at
Smithfield. I also want to appeal to people to go online
now to the Jobstown Not Guilty facebook page and donate
to the bail fund because we need 2,000 for next
Wednesday.
Id like to thank everybody for their ongoing support and
hope to see you on Monday morning.
I want to finish with the words of Martin Luther King Jr.,
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
https://bogmanscannon.com/2016/09/21/statement-fromthe-dock-from-the-child-joan-burton-wants-to-lock-up/

JUROR 791 ON HER

EXCLUSION FROM THE
FAKE TRIAL OF

SEANIE FITZ
Posted on September 22, 2016 by Bogman's Cannon

If what is going on the childrens court in relation to

the Jobstown Protest is a show-trial, it seems what
Seanie Fitzpatrick is getting from our crooked state is
a fake trial with a Jury stocked exclusively by
people who have no problem with the austerity
caused by the actions of him & his friends. Applying
the same logic to the showtrial in the childrens court
would mean anyone who campaigned for austerity
i.e Joan Burton & the whole of the irish ruling class
should be excluded from participation. Logically,
Judge Aylmers exclusion of those who
conscientiously object to a crime from juring that
crime also means that anyone who thinks robbery is
wrong should be excluded from a robbery trial; that
those who dislike kidnapping be excluded from a
kidnappers trial, that those among us who have a
problem with murder be disbarred from a murder
juryin other words it is a formula for letting ruling class
criminals like Seanie Fitzpatrick off scot fee, & of course
that is the whole idea of it. The Irish Ruling class is
quickly becoming the most obviously corrupt in the
world. Time for all decent people to start standing up
to it.

Juror 791 & her Suspect Device

RTE reported today on TV and radio, on the selection of a
jury for trial of Seanie Fitzpatick . The report referred to a
woman selected for the jury panel, who said loudly in court
that she most decidely was not neutral in the case of
bankers. Had I known RTE would carry my comments, Id
have made more of them. I might have said for instance,
that the criteria used to out-rule potential jurors is
preposterous, excluding as it does anyone who may have
..expressed themselves in publicwhether on the
internet, on social media, including FaceBookconcerning
Anglo Irish Bank PLC, or the banking crisis or bankers in
general... (These are the judges words, not mine!). The
judge also explained that a fine of up to 2000 Euros could
apply if you failed to exclude yourself from the jury if any of
the following applied: if you had been strongly affected by
the banking crisis, if you had been active in any
campaigning groups, either formal or informal, if you had
..been involved in protests.anti austerity protests and

such like...
So who is left? Who has not been affected by FEMPI, or
USC or cutbacks in public services, and might feel that
these were connected to the banking crisis and have
strong feelings about bankers as a cosequence? Or
suppose you liked a post on Facebook put up by one of
those hundreds of thousands who campaigned against
Water Charges or other austerity measures, or supposing,
heaven forbid, you were one of those protestors. Well
sorry, you just couldnt possible be a juror then, now could
you?
Does this not seem to be a very serious flaw in our justice
system? If having a sense of outrage at the wrongdoing of
the banking elites, or a sense of social responsibility such
that you protest about injustice, or simply disagree with
government policy and protest about that, that if any of this
applies to you, then you are unfit as a juror. It put me in
mind of a great song years ago by the punk band Stiff
Little Fingers, called Suspect Device. The suspect device
was a brain you got one, dont apply for jury duty.

We know what they want, we know FF, FG, LB will not support
motion to abolish IW. We know they want to privatise our water, and
in all likelihood the deal has long been done, behind our backs of
course. We know if the money squandered into keeping the quango
iw afloat could have provided quality water supply if actually used
wisely instead of for forcing metres on us. Now they want another
660mil to fill the holes in this sinking toxic company!We refuse to
pay, boycott iw charges, and the snakes up in leinster house take
our public funds and funnel them back into this hated money pit.
While people go homeless, hungry and every other knockon result of
austerity continues. This is an absolute insult to each ans everyone
of us. What I want to know is what are we going to do about it? Are
we going to let this happen? Are we going to allow these clowns to
drain more public monies into that cesspit iw? Enough of this lunacy,
its time for full on action, nonstop til mission complete, do you think
the enemy iw has stopped planning its dirty sneaky tactics to force
its will upon us? No of course not, so why do we? Time to up the
anti. This is going on way too long now, and all the while this
parasitic quango is sucking us dry!

Emigrants video criticising

Apple tax appeal seen by
500,000
UK-based Irish construction worker says Ireland should
use 13bn windfall for jobs
about 6 hours ago Updated: about 5 hours ago

Dan Griffin
James Conway, an Irishman living and working in the UK, has posted an antigovernment video to his Facebook page that received over half a million views
in less than one day. Video: James Conway

A video posted online by an Irish construction worker

in the UK, criticising the Governments approach to the
EU Apple tax ruling, has received more than 500,000
views.
In the video, James Conway urges the Government to
take the 13 billion windfall from the ruling and use it
to build infrastructure and create jobs.
Because when people are working theyre spending
money in the country. How much is Apple spending?
Damn all, Mr Conway says.
Mr Conway said he made the video because it drove
me absolutely off the walls when he read about the
Governments decision to appeal the Apple tax ruling.
By 9.30am on Thursday the video, titled A little
message from myself to the Irish Government, had
attracted 588,000 views and Mr Conway had received
more than 700 messages from around the world.
R
R
R

EU Commission has no specific concern about Irish

tax system Vestager
Apple tax deal: Controversial ruling backed by MEPs
Apple row underlines why corporates need foreign
policy

The reaction has been very positive, he said. I think

its probably a reflection of how a lot of people in
Ireland and a lot of Irish people around the world are
feelingthey feel at a loss.
Theres no recovery going on. Unless youre around
Dublin or the counties around Dublin youre really not
feeling the effects of a recovery going on, he said.
The 23-year-old from Ballymote, Co Sligo, said he first
travelled to the UK for work three years ago. I left
school when I was about 17 or 18 and worked in
Wexford; Ive worked in Offaly, around Dublin,
Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool. Im in Wrexham
at the moment, were based out north Wales.
I come home now every second weekend. I get home
on a Friday afternoon and I get my child on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday and Im back on Monday
morning then.
Ive worked at home and it doesnt pay. Its alright if
you can subsidise yourself in a way that you can live of
very, very little. Thats my major problem. Theyre not
making work pay at the moment.

Secrets of success: what makes a great ad

campaign?
He said he hopes to return to Ireland but that currently
there are not many opportunities in the construction
sector. He said while the Government focuses on the
knowledge economy ordinary workers are being left
behind.
The ideal for me would be to see some fund to be put
in place to improve the infrastructure in the west of
Ireland, the northwest of Ireland and the rural areas of
Ireland-because theres any amount of work that can
be done.
They can improve the roads, they can bring fibre

broadband out to rural areas to spread the actual

recovery so that rural areas and places outside of
Dublin actually see something from this recovery.

Is Fianna Fil ready, and indeed willing, to be the lead

party in government once again?

<imgsrc="//cdn
01.independent.ie/incoming/article35065806.ece/c9c83/AUTOCROP/w6
20/12%20NEWS%20II%20Dail%2045%20TB_2.jpg"alt="Barry
Cowen:waterchargestobecompletelyabolished.Photo:TomBurke"
title="BarryCowen:waterchargestobecompletelyabolished.Photo:
TomBurke"width="620"height="379"/>

2
2
Barry Cowen: water charges to be completely abolished. Photo:
Tom Burke

Judging by the mood of TDs and senators at the party's

think-in in Carlow, Fianna Fil very much believes that
redemption is in the air.

Half of the parliamentary party are new on the scene and

many have genuine ambitions of becoming ministers.
And so, after five long years in the political wilderness, the
party believes it has learned from its many, many
mistakes, which left the Irish public feeling battered,
bruised and very much betrayed.
Michel Martin deserves massive credit for bringing his
party back from a point of absolute despair.
But, after just four months supporting Enda Kenny's limp
coalition, Fianna Fil's mask has well and truly slipped.
The party's U-turn on the issue of water charges smacks of
the type of populism we see so often from Sinn Fin.
At the Fianna Fil rd Fheis and on several subsequent
occasions, the party's environment spokesman Barry
Cowen said water charges should be suspended for the
lifetime of the next government.
Now, according to its submission to the water commission,
charges will be abolished under a Fianna Fil
administration.
It is some turnaround from 2010, when the Fianna Filled Cabinet was preparing to introduce annual charges of
around 500 per household.
But the scale of the U-turn does not stop there.
Not only is Fianna Fil promising to scrap charges forever,
it has offered to refund the hundreds of thousands of
householders who were foolish enough to obey the law and
pay their bills.
This will come in the form of a tax credit, the party says.
How much will that cost? Well, the party hasn't put a
figure on it.
What if the commission recommends charges should be
re-introduced?
Well, the party hasn't explained what it will do in that
instance.
At official level, Fianna Fil denies that it has flip-flopped
on the issue, instead saying the position is consistent with
its election manifesto.
But at the think-in, TDs privately expressed unease about

the new-found policy. In fact, one prominent backbencher

complained that the first he heard about the stance was
when it was reported in the media.
Several deputies also voiced concern that the party has
gone so far out on a limb on water charges, that it will be
the issue that not only causes the next election, but
dominates the campaign itself.
If the expert commission does, as expected, recommend
the re-introduction of water charges, Fianna Fil surely
will have no option but to reject its findings.
For if it doesn't, how can the party's TDs honestly look
their voters directly in the eye when election time comes
around again.
As Michel Martin's gamble was discussed over dinner
and drinks at the think-in, TDs spoke of a party that once
again can influence everyday life in this country.
They spoke of a party that has reconnected with the people
whom on so many occasions gave them their endorsement
at the ballot box.
Fianna Fil is back, the deputies say, and it will fight even
harder for its supporters this time round.
The first real proof of this commitment, so we are told, will
be in the Budget.
Not only will it be 'Brexit-proof', 'rural-proof' and
whatever other analogy being used in the customary preBudget narrative, but it will also be 'Fianna Fil-proof'.
That is of course if Paschal Donohoe and Michael Noonan
can somehow satisfy the multi-million euro demands
being sought by various spokespeople in Michel Martin's
party.
While Fianna Fil is enjoying what many in the party say
is a rebirth, ordinary families are not.
One thing the political events of 2016 have achieved is the
moulding of the public into a much more unforgiving
bunch than years gone by.
As Fianna Fil's own TD and Ceann Comhairle Sen
Fearghal said recently, trust between the public and the
political establishment is broken.

Unless Fianna Fil fulfils its pledge of acting responsibly,

that trust won't be repaired for a long, long time.

Vindictive trial of 17 year old for 'false imprisonment' of

Joan Burton continuing today. This piece of video evidence
from Joan Burton's iphone really tells you all you need to
know about the idea that Joan Burton was in fear of her
life and was therefore falsely imprisoned!

This mockery is nothing but a deliberate attempt to scare everyone

into silence and inaction. We're no fools, it seems they
underestimated the power of the people once again.
One of my memories of this when the Endapendent and other
propaganda media outlets reported this incident there was a picture
they used. The one,where a lad was photoshopped throwing a brick
at Garda cars. It was such a bad job, I knew that here was an
incident to be used by FG as a political setup. Now we have a
showtrail. I'm afraid of the outcome,the appointed judge will
probably rule in favour of the "elite". If he does that spells the end of
the right to protest. It could push Ireland over the edge,do we have
the balls to take them on?.

Boylan Demands
Public Inquiry into
British Undercover
Policing in Ireland
22 September, 2016 - by Lynn Boylan MEP

Following the announcement today that the Scottish

Government is to carry out their own inquiry into British Met
undercover policing, Sinn Fin MEP for Dublin Lynn Boylan has
called for Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to also carry
out an inquiry into their activities on the island of Ireland.
Speaking in Dublin today, Ms Boylan said
We know for sure that at least one undercover police officer,
Mark Kennedy, visited Ireland on a number of occasions and
infiltrated a number of campaign groups including Shell to Sea
and ShannonWatch. It is also believed that he embarked on a
sexual relationship with at least one female activist.
In 2015, Theresa May launched an Inquiry into the British Met
Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) and the National Public
Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) amid concerns around the
behaviour of these undercover police. Over 50 convictions
have been overturned in England and it has also emerged that
engaging in long term sexual relationships with women activists
was not unusual for these undercover police and in some cases
they have even had children with the women.
Prime Minister May has refused point blank to extend the
inquiry outside of England and Wales and, as a result, the
Scottish government have now decided to carry out their own
investigation.

The fact that undercover British Met officers were operating

on the island of Ireland and spying on legitimate, democratic
campaign groups and organisations is deeply concerning.
There are so many questions that need to be answered.
Did the Fianna Fil Minister for Justice at the time, Dermot
Ahern sanction their activities? If not, why did he fail to
demand answers of his British counterpart as the German
Bundestag did?
How many of these undercover police were operating in
Ireland? Why is the British Met refusing to release the full list of
groups targeted in Ireland? Are there any convictions of
activists in Ireland as a result of the activities of these
individuals?
Only a full and comprehensive public inquiry would be able to
establish these facts.
Minister Frances Fitzgerald has a duty of care to the victims of
these undercover police, particularly the female victims who
were sexually exploited by their actions. It is simply not good
enough for the Minister to shrug her shoulders; she should
establish a public inquiry immediately.
Following the announcement today that the Scottish
Government is to carry out their own inquiry into British
Met undercover policing, Sinn Fin MEP for Dublin Lynn
Boylan has called for Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald
to also carry out an inquiry into their activities on the
island of Ireland.
Speaking in Dublin today, Ms Boylan said
We know for sure that at least one undercover police
officer, Mark Kennedy, visited Ireland on a number of
occasions and infiltrated a number of campaign groups
including Shell to Sea and ShannonWatch. It is also
believed that he embarked on a sexual relationship with at
least one female activist.
In 2015, Theresa May launched an Inquiry into the British
Met Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) and the National
Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) amid concerns
around the behaviour of these undercover police. Over 50
convictions have been overturned in England and it has

also emerged that engaging in long term sexual

relationships with women activists was not unusual for
these undercover police and in some cases they have
even had children with the women.
Prime Minister May has refused point blank to extend the
inquiry outside of England and Wales and, as a result, the
Scottish government have now decided to carry out their
own investigation.
The fact that undercover British Met officers were
operating on the island of Ireland and spying on
legitimate, democratic campaign groups and organisations
is deeply concerning. There are so many questions that
need to be answered.
Did the Fianna Fil Minister for Justice at the time, Dermot
Ahern sanction their activities? If not, why did he fail to
demand answers of his British counterpart as the German
Bundestag did?
How many of these undercover police were operating in
Ireland? Why is the British Met refusing to release the full
list of groups targeted in Ireland? Are there any
convictions of activists in Ireland as a result of the
activities of these individuals?
Only a full and comprehensive public inquiry would be
able to establish these facts.
Minister Frances Fitzgerald has a duty of care to the
victims of these undercover police, particularly the female
victims who were sexually exploited by their actions. It is
simply not good enough for the Minister to shrug her
shoulders; she should establish a public inquiry
immediately.
http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/41647

Ireland can legally scrap water charges

says Sinn Fin
Monday, September 12, 2016

Ireland can scrap water charges according to legal

opinion received by Sinn Fein.
This is despite the latest view of the European Commission
which says that Ireland must keep the contentious
charges.

Water charges have been suspended pending an

investigation, and there is still widespread noncompliance.

Sinn Fin MEP Lynn Boylan (pictured) says their legal

advice is clear: "It confirms what we have said all along,
which tallies with the responses we got from the
Commission to Parlimentary questions and through emails
and through other MEP's that Ireland would not be in
contravention of the water framework directive if it chose
to abolish water charges.
"Provided that it showed that it was complying with all the
other objectives of the directive, which is around the
conservation of water."
In Republic of Ireland pursuant to section reflected in the
final document. ... police officers) operating in the the South
from UK NI

Foreign Terrorist Organizations Continuity Irish Republican

Army (CIRA) The Green Book is a training and ... declared
illegal - in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and a ... that was
aimed at the end of British rule in Northern Ireland.
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/45323.pdf
Police & Science Technology Strategy 2004 2009
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/2013012810351
4/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/PoliceST_S2_p
art11.pdf?view=Binary

Republic of Ireland of a secret army engaged ... by the

police in Northern Ireland and ... following clashes
between the security forces and members of the illegal
article-15-derogation-factsheet
https://www.statewatch.org/news/2016/jul/echr-article-15derogation-factsheet.pdf
Terrorism and the European Convention on Human Rights
http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/FS_Terrorism_ENG.pdf

Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949: the

third is the Geneva Convention relative to the
Treatment of Prisoners of War, and the fourth
the Geneva Convention relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS OF 12 AUGUST
1949 under Irelands Illegal Army Rule

THE GENEVA
CONVENTIONS
OF 12 AUGUST
1949
https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/publications/icrc
0020173.pdf
5 Human Rights Law in the Republic of Ireland ... of
illegally obtained of Ireland,

IRELANDS INTERNAL AFFAIRS. ILLEGAL BLUEPRINT FOR ... of

Ireland and now Chairman of British

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamentalrights/files/cfr_cdf_opinion3_2003_en.pdf

Unconstitutionally Obtained Evidence in Ireland: Protectionism,

Deterrence and the Winds of Change
quoting Art.40.3.1 of the Irish Constitution.

http://doras.dcu.ie/4559/1/iclj_19_2_doras.pdf

EUROPEAN UNION (AWARD OF CONTRACTS BY UTILITY UNDERTAKINGS)

REGULATIONS 2016
https://procurement.ie/sites/default/files/migr/si2862016per_0.pdf

Election needed NOW. NO ----FF, FG, LAB. Careful with certain IND.
Time for a big change. Can't be any worse for what we got so far.
Thomas Bellew.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>In total - past and present government
parties...
So people still want to elect the same old parties back again? Lets
see in total how good they previously did or are doing now?
Fine Gael:
* Up to necks in corruption, cronyism & nepotism?
* Allowed the Troika (banks) in.
* Saddled the citizens with 64 Billion of debt that was not theirs
created but told to pay.
* Water re-charging, household tax, levies and 40+ other upped
taxes besides more financial taking inventions.
* Taking of Denis O'Brien money - all legal.
* The allowing of a media mogul to repeatedly buy more and more
Ireland media despite 2011 stating they would stop him. Was this
before or after he gave money to them and Lowry?
* The 1 Million public money facelift for the FG HQ.
* Odd circumstances about Eamons Gilmore's wife to gain a 92,000
state job - and letting it then come to pass?
* Too busy continuing an agenda of state privatisation by back-door.

* With others, yearly upping again, their own pay while citizens have
not seen a pay increase since 2008.
* All too quiet about other parties in government corruption and
immoral antics.
* Not defending a TD's right to speak in the Dail. Kenny went
missing in action for seven days instead!
* Allowing too many companies to use complete fiction regarding
addresses, offices and staff, to massive tax dodge to the tune of
over 300 Billion! Turned a blind eye to it all.
* Too busy cow-towing to EU heads and also handing over Irish
budget to them for their approval before they even show it to fellow
elected and share with the Ireland citizens!
* Seeing 20 Garda waste six months over one TD delayed for an
hour and who had an empty water balloon thrown at her! Not
forgetting about dragging kids out of their beds in the early hours of
the morn like they were big drug criminals!
* Quicker to jail TV licence non-payers than bankers who screwed
the public out of Billions of Euro.
* Did bugger all to stop the Eircode farce come in and continue still!
* Helped create the state conditions that sees one in ten cannot
afford food.
* Not only screwed up the HSE despite promising to tackle it - they
made it far worse - of course, now ripe for privatisation more!
* * Wanted to abolish the Seanad - so that that watchdog could not
interfere also with the TTIP agenda being rammed in quietly?
* Created the worst homelessness crises in the history of the state?
* Still charging (only county in EU) for FOI access. Bugger all
information them made available!
* Assisted Fianna Fail and Labour in passing on the very last day of
the 2011 Dail, a law that allowed them all to hide their expenses
antics from the public a lot more.
* Along with other parties in government, allowed priests and their
orgs to escape legal prosecution. Allowed the orgs total escape
paying 1,4 Billion that they were supposed to pay back to state!
They still all too quiet on that issue too.
* All too quiet and no Garda investigation over what happened on
the days surrounding the bank-bailout that set the state into crises
for years!
* Inventing expensive, toothless Dail inquiries, one after another!
* The Ansbacher tax dodging affair buried from public eye.
* The massive Anglo loans gained by simple phone call with little or
no paperwork?
* Quietly giving our neutrality away.
While continuing to extract money from public to pay a bill of 64
Billion - a debt they had no hand in creating, they reject 13 Billion
the people is actually owed because of their previous 'blind eye' to
corporate legal tax dodging using fiction.
* All too quiet on Mr Noonan, a FG bondholder, getting to decided if
he should 'burn' himself along with other European bondholders! (its

called elsewhere akin to "insider trading")

* * In joint partnership with others to ram TTIP treaty down the
throats of of a nation.
* Allowing Abtran and Seetec (private companies) and more, to
continue take over once state department services.
* The Fitzpatrick Tapes - All too silent about them!
* Saying they would cut quango's - then actually created even more!
* Allowing Bertie Ahern to escape REAL Garda investigation.
* The ramming in of Irish water.
* The ramming in of meters via private companies - some owned by
he who gave money to the FG party!
* The ramming in of membership of the new EU army.
* Bin charges hiked and all too silent about additional service
charges!
* Allowing media to be more monopolised.
* The Enda Kenny fairy tales.
* The Enda Kenny timely disappearances.
* The Enda kenny ducking of journalists and TV3 debates nation
wide.
* The Constitution Convention burying of an 83% vote calling for the
re-instatement of Participatory democracy
* The handing over of a nations data to private companies like
Abtran and Seetec - all without express permission!
* FG awarding Senate seats to failed elected - after trying first to get
rid of the Senate!
* The attempt to gag journalists!
* Noonan ok'ing bankers 800K
* The more quiet four person cabal that really ran the state!
* The 300k spent on tea and biscuits?
* The "not another cent" statement - then what happened?
* The 60+ million lost so far on Eircode!
* The EXTRA 280 Million EU bill because they played footloose with
state economy figures?
* The illegal VRT tax.
* The still hiding of RTE costs and presenter wages!
* The forcing of people (including top Garda) to resign by night visits
made?
* The HSE waiting lists made far longer!
* The stretcher corridors made more filled!
* The quiet dropping of water allowances.
* The farce surrounding the 100 bride to get people water conserve
- in other words, trick them to signing up to a contract and admitting
a tax liability!
* The state data snooping!
* Burton keeping quiet on huge losses till after an election?
* The secret deal to spin a budget!
* How the Uk knew of the Anglo rescue ahead of Lenihan!
* The repeated cuts to mothers allowances!
The still cowardly direct non-tackling of school book companies and

their rip-off practises!

* Creating the conditions that actually saw a massive growth in soup
kitchens around the country.
* Household charge - septic tank tax - increased USC - prescription
charges - increased PRSI...
* Hospital closures.
* Garda station closures.
* The allowing of banks to evict in two months - previously was
twelve.
* The massive hike in family evictions.
* The constant doing that EU heads order - over the heads of the
Irish nation's people!
.
.
.
Labour:
* Up to necks in corruption, cronyism & nepotism - or all too quiet
while it continued under their very noses?
* Allowed the Troika (banks) in.
* Continued to saddled the citizens with 64 Billion of debt that was
not theirs created but told to pay.
* Too conveniently silent about water meters.
* Too conveniently silent about needed greater constitution
amendment to ensure better natural resources protection from
privatisation.
* Too conveniently silent about FG/FF/Greens continuing an agenda
of state privatisation by back-door.
* With others, yearly upping again, their own pay while citizens have
not seen a pay increase since 2008.
* Allowed too many companies to use complete fiction regarding
addresses, offices and staff, to massive tax dodge to the tune of
over 300 Billion! Turned a blind eye to it all.
* Too busy cow-towing to EU heads and also handing over Irish
budget to them for their approval before they even show it to fellow
elected and share with the Ireland citizens!
* Now all too silent about an elected person that silenced Garda in
Donegal over Mary Boyle case?
* Quicker to jail TV licence non-payers than bankers who screwed
the public out of Billions of Euro.
* Did bugger all to stop the Eircode farce come in and continue still in fact - they interfered with the tender process to force in the
company they wanted? Others let them get away with it all. WHY?
* Helped create the state conditions that sees one in ten cannot
afford food.
* Wanted to abolish the Seanad - so that that watchdog could not
interfere also with the TTIP agenda being rammed in quietly?
* Then used the Senate to ram in those of their party that was
rejected in their very home towns - including Ged Nash who actively
campaigned to close the Senate he's now earning money & later

another pension from!

* Reduced information drastically, that was once more available
under FOI applications made.
* Assisted Fine Gael and Labour in passing on the very last day of
the 2011 Dail, a law that allowed them all to hide their expenses
antics from the public a lot more.
* Along with other parties in government, made a complete and
utter balls up of the HSE.
* Along with other parties in government, allowed priests and their
orgs to escape legal prosecution. Allowed the orgs total escape
paying 1,4 Billion that they were supposed to pay back to state!
They still all too quiet on that issue too.
* All too quiet and no Garda investigation over what happened on
the days surrounding the bank-bailout that set the state into crises
for years!
* Quietly giving our neutrality away.
* The usage of Shannon Airport by US military and the secret CIA
plane landings.
* While slapping a bill of 64 Billion on the people they had no hand
in creating, they reject 13 Billion the people is actually owed
because of their previous 'blind eye' to corporate legal tax dodging
using fiction.
* All too quiet over Mr Noonan, a FG bondholder, getting to decided
if he should 'burn' himself along with other European bondholders!
(its called elsewhere akin to "insider trading"). Letting him get away
with it or not even calling it all into open question?
* The Gilmore family awarded 92,000 state job?
* Allowing Water re-charging, household tax, levies and 40+ other
upped taxes besides more financial taking inventions.
* The allowing of a media mogul to repeatedly buy more and more
Ireland media.
* Too busy continuing an agenda of state privatisation by back-door.
* With others, yearly upping again, their own pay while citizens have
not seen a pay increase since 2008.
* All too quiet about other parties in government corruption and
immoral antics.
* Allowing too many companies to use complete fiction regarding
addresses, offices and staff, to massive tax dodge to the tune of
over 300 Billion! Turned a blind eye to it all.
* Too busy cow-towing to EU heads and also handing over Irish
budget to them for their approval before they even show it to fellow
elected and share with the Ireland citizens!
* Seeing 20 Garda waste six months over one TD delayed for an
hour and who had an empty water balloon thrown at her! Not
forgetting about dragging kids out of their beds in the early hours of
the morn like they were big drug criminals!
* Helped create the state conditions that sees one in ten cannot
afford food.
* Not only screwed up the HSE despite promising to tackle it - they

made it far worse - of course, now ripe for privatisation more!

* Created the worst homelessness crises in the history of the state?
* Still charging (only county in EU) for FOI access. Bugger all
information them made available!
* Assisted Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in passing on the very last day
of the 2011 Dail, a law that allowed them all to hide their expenses
antics from the public a lot more.
* * Along with other parties in government, allowed priests and their
orgs to escape legal prosecution. Allowed the orgs total escape
paying 1,4 Billion that they were supposed to pay back to state!
They still all too quiet on that issue too.
* * All too quiet and no Garda investigation over what happened on
the days surrounding the bank-bailout that set the state into crises
for years!
* Inventing expensive, toothless Dail inquiries, one after another!
* The Ansbacher tax dodging affair buried from public eye.
* The massive Anglo loans gained by simple phone call with little or
no paperwork?
* Quietly giving our neutrality away.
While continuing to extract money from public to pay a bill of 64
Billion - a debt they had no hand in creating, they reject 13 Billion
the people is actually owed because of their previous 'blind eye' to
corporate legal tax dodging using fiction.
* All too quiet on Mr Noonan, a FG bondholder, getting to decided if
he should 'burn' himself along with other European bondholders! (its
called elsewhere akin to "insider trading")
* * In joint partnership with others to ram TTIP treaty down the
throats of of a nation.
* Allowing Abtran and Seetec (private companies) and more, to
continue take over once state department services.
* Allowing Bertie Ahern to escape REAL Garda investigation.
* Standing by the ramming in of Irish water.
* Standing by the ramming in of meters via private companies some owned by he who gave money to the FG party!
* Standing by the ramming in of membership of the new EU army.
* Standing by the bin charges hikes and all too silent about
additional service charges!
* Standing by, allowing media to be more monopolised.
* Standing by the Enda Kenny fairy tales.
* Standing by the Enda Kenny timely disappearances.
* Standing by the Enda Kenny ducking of journalists and TV3
debates nation wide.
* Standing by the Constitution Convention burying of an 83% vote
calling for the re-instatement of Participatory Democracy.
* Standing by the handing over of a nations data to private
companies like Abtran and Seetec - all without express permission!
* Standing by too quiet over the EXTRA 280 Million EU bill.
* The illegal VRT tax.
* The still hiding of RTE costs and presenter wages!

* The HSE waiting lists made far longer!

* The stretcher corridors made more filled!
* The quiet dropping of water allowances.
* The farce surrounding the 100 bride to get people water conserve
- in other words, trick them to signing up to a contract and admitting
a tax liability!
* The state data snooping!
* Standing by the secret deal to spin a budget?
* The repeated cuts to mothers allowances!
* Creating the conditions that actually saw a massive growth in soup
kitchens around the country - and then had the nerve to seek good
PR by getting photographed at them!
* Household charge - septic tank tax - increased USC - prescription
charges - increased PRSI...
* Hospital closures.
* Garda station closures.
* The allowing of banks to evict in two months - previously was
twelve.
* The massive hike in family evictions.
* The constant doing that EU heads order - over the heads of the
Irish nation's people!
.
.
Fianna Fail:
* Up to necks in corruption, cronyism & nepotism?
* Allowed the Troika (banks) in.
* Saddled the citizens with 64 Billion of debt that was not theirs
created but told to pay.
* All over the damn place as regards water re-charging.
* Too conveniently silent about water meters.
* Too conveniently silent about needed greater constitution
amendment to ensure better natural resources protection from
privatisation.
* Too conveniently silent about FG/Labour/Greens continuing an
agenda of state privatisation by back-door.
* With others, yearly upping again, their own pay while citizens have
not seen a pay increase since 2008.
* All too quiet about other parties in government corruption and
immoral antics.
* Allowed too many companies to use complete fiction regarding
addresses, offices and staff, to massive tax dodge to the tune of
over 300 Billion! Turned a blind eye to it all.
* Too busy cow-towing to EU heads and also handing over Irish
budget to them for their approval before they even show it to fellow
elected and share with the Ireland citizens!
* All too silent about the elected person in their party that silenced
Garda in Donegal over Mary Boyle case?
* Quicker to jail TV licence non-payers than bankers who screwed
the public out of Billions of Euro.

* Told people who issued warnings of future bubble burst, they were
imagining things, rubbished them in the media and told them they
would be better to go kill themselves?
* Did bugger all to stop the Eircode farce come in and continue still!
* Helped create the state conditions that sees one in ten cannot
afford food.
* Wanted to abolish the Seanad - so that that watchdog could not
interfere also with the TTIP agenda being rammed in quietly?
* Upped the costs for FOI access so that even newspapers found it
harder to gain information.
* Reduced information drastically, that was once more available
under FOI applications made.
* Assisted Fine Gael and Labour in passing on the very last day of
the 2011 Dail, a law that allowed them all to hide their expenses
antics from the public a lot more.
* Along with other parties in government, made a complete and
utter balls up of the HSE.
* Along with other parties in government, allowed priests and their
orgs to escape legal prosecution. Allowed the orgs total escape
paying 1,4 Billion that they were supposed to pay back to state!
They still all too quiet on that issue too.
* All too quiet and no Garda investigation over what happened on
the days surrounding the bank-bailout that set the state into crises
for years!
* Saw to it that Francie O'Brien got to keep his extensive Dail
pension after being sentenced to three years for his part in a
100,000 extortion plot!
* Bertie - the horses - the envelopes - the Stirling money - the no
bank account in Ireland - the Drumcondra Mafia - the Golden Circle...
Need we say more?
* The Ansbacher tax dodging affair buried from public eye.
* The massive Anglo loans gained by simple phone call with little or
no paperwork?
* Quietly giving our neutrality away.
* Not only too quiet over Windscale ((later PR changed it name to
Sellafield because of too many accidents and thus earned bad
name), they did nothing to more protest its expansion!
* While slapping a bill of 64 Billion on the people they had no hand
in creating, they reject 13 Billion the people is actually owed
because of their previous 'blind eye' to corporate legal tax dodging
using fiction.
* All too quiet on Mr Noonan, a FG bondholder, getting to decided if
he should 'burn' himself along with other European bondholders! (its
called elsewhere akin to "insider trading")
* In joint partnership with others to ram TTIP treaty down the throats
of of a nation.
* Allowing Abtran and Seetec (private companies) and more, to
continue take over once state department services.
* The Fitzpatrick Tapes - All too silent about them!

* Connie Quinn, who was controversially selected without a

democratic vote of Fianna Fil members in Longford for an election!
* The 1970 Devlin Report identified 80 quangos - by 2008 according
to a policy paper there was 445 by the time FF got into their stride!
* A previous Tanaiste brother who earned 15,000 in TD/Senator
phone sales.
* While Jackie Healy-Rae support was needed in the Dail, his sons,
Healy-Rea brothers, get cared for. 110,000 for year on council!
* The secret 100 yard tunnel for TD's to get to the Dail. What? You
were not told about that?
* Bertie Ahern and the Mahon Tribunal - all too silent.
* The Ryan Report - all too silent.
* The Murphy Report - all too silent.
Do you seriously want them back at the next local and national
elections

Council compulsory purchase orders would solve

IRELANDS housing crisis overnight, as the Master of the
High Court said a few months ago but like everything in
this rotten state, they have to forced kicking and
screaming to do anything, by US! LETS FORCE THEM INTO
ACTION!

Damning files reveal Central Banks role in 7bn banking fraud The
Sunday Business Post by Tom Lyons. Jun 19, 2016
Catherine Murphy makes more claims in the Dil about Denis
O'Brien's finances and AIB. Jul 8, 2016 RTE.Government accused of

facilitating tax avoidance by vulture funds Jul 14, 2016 Irish Times.
Irish bankers jailed for 'deceitful and corrupt' market deception
scheme Jul 29, 2016 Irish MirrorALL OF ABOVE WAS PUBLISHED LAST
YEAR IN TOM DARCYS BOOK WAITING FOR THE SHERIFF
Simon transferring houses from namas books over to local councils
would solve our homeless crises over night, but it is not part of the
plan to fix things,

Just think about what Stephen is saying. Forget his politics

and concentrate on the fact that he's a bean counter with
a voice....
The public finances surrounding the upcoming budget ain't
pretty....
It's budget season - time to listen to all the ways life's going to be
better...660m in new spending on services next year...good right?
Not so much. The Budget Oversight Committee just got new
numbers from the Fiscal Advisory Council, and they say something
very important, that's going largely unnoticed. It's this: It would take
ALL of the proposed spending increases for the next five years JUST
to keep things as they are - or to 'stand still', as IFAC says. SO - any
spending on new stuff will in fact be funded from falls in real public
sector wages and falls in real social protection levels.
Solutions?
1. Don't erode the tax base (as pretty much all the experts before
committee, and employer groups agree with);
2. Get agreement from EU on need for additional capital spend (also
agreed by pretty much everyone);
3. Spend less in some areas. I know, crazy...EVERYONE wants to talk
about where we should spend MORE money...but what about where
we should spend LESS money? The Minister wasn't going to
comment.
https://www.facebook.com/DonnellyforWicklow/videos/13902681976
79858/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Tax rulings under EU State aid rules after Apple- What is targeted
and what can be done? August 31, 2016
http://www.willkie.com/~/media/Files/Publications/2016/08/Tax_rulin
gs_under_EU_state_aid_rules_after_Apple.pdf
BANKS FORFEIT PLEDGED COLLATERAL DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE
WARNING SIGNS OF BORROWERS MISCONDUCT
http://www.willkie.com/~/media/Files/Publications/2016/06/Banks_Fo
rfeit_Pledged_Collateral.pdf

If the man said it on Spotlight on the British

Broadcasting Corporation it must be true

The Government will commit on Thursday to having more

than 1,000 rapid housing units for homeless families in
place or under construction by the end of next year.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney will announce details
of the measures, which are aimed at ending the practice
of homeless families living in emergency accommodation
such as hotels or bed and breakfasts.
He is to set out plans to have 327 units under construction
or completed by the end of this year, a further 200 in
place early next year and 500 additional sites identified by
the end of 2017.
The Government has been under significant pressure to
address the issue of homelessness and housing shortages.
The announcement comes after figures showed the
number of people sleeping on the streets has reached a
new high.
Mortgage rules likely to hit supply of new homes, warns
ESRI
Living by the rules on mortgage lending
Record number sleeping rough in Dublin, says Simon
Community
The Simon Community counted 168 people sleeping on
the streets on Monday night.
A further 60 were sleeping on the floor of the Merchants
Quay Ireland night cafe.
Mr Coveney described the figures as shocking and said
finding a solution to the homeless crisis was like trying to
empty a bath of water while the taps are running full on.
Support services
Minister for Health Simon Harris is set to announce an
additional 2 million for 2016 for support services for
homeless people.
It is understood Mr Harris will commit to trebling that to 6
million next year to ensure individuals can access primary
care, addiction and mental health services.
The Government is also to commit to allocating every child
who leaves the care of the State a dedicated social worker.
Minister for Children Katherine Zappone plans to instruct
housing bodies to find accommodation for this purpose.
It is understood that Tsla, the child and family agency,
has been instructed by the Minister to take on extra
responsibilities in this regard.

Coveney plans 1,000 rapid

housing units for homeless
Move comes days after figures showed a record number
of rough sleepers in Dublin

Now this is interesting.

#RTbias so far on drivetime we have had Enda Kenny, Michael
Noonan, Shane Ross and John Halligan. To come we will have Pascal
Donohoe and Paul Murphy . No Sinn Fin and only one out of six TDs
who oppose giving back 13billion given airtime.
Last evening Mr. Boucher Hayes. Came out with the line

"Shane Ross knows what side our bread is buttered on"

showing the presenters clear bias generated from RTE group think.
The Budget Oversight Committee just got new numbers from the
Fiscal Advisory Council, and they say something very important,
that's going largely unnoticed. It's this: It would take ALL of the
proposed spending increases for the next five years JUST to keep
things as they are - or to 'stand still', as IFAC says. SO

RESOLVING THE CRISIS LEGACY AND

MEETING NEW CHALLENGES TO FINANCIAL
STABILITY
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/gfsr/2010/01/pdf/chap1.pdf

CHALLENGES FOR WATER SUPPLY AND

GOVERNANCE

:
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:
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As mentioned, Dublin, in common with other growing cities of

similar scale, faces major challenges in relation to how it manages
its water resources. Cities struggling to keep pace with population
and demographic changes are not unique, however, collectively the
combination of factors in relation to Dublin create an inordinately
challenging situation for those attempting to plan for the citys
current and future water resources needs. Some of these key
challenges, inter alia, include:
Geographic mismatches between water availability and water users
A legacy of problems resulting from the historic evolution of Dublins
water services system
The citys ongoing dependence on a Victorian era infrastructure
Emerging development and population growth
An historic focus on water management through supply expansion
An absence of domestic water charges
Emerging climate change uncertainties
In Ireland there is a mismatch between the highest availability of
water for abstraction and the highest concentration of potable water
users.
The east of the country has on average 150 rainfall days per year
yielding between 750 and 1000 mm of rainfall (Met ireann 2014).
The 225 days of rainfall in the west generally average between 1000
and 1250 mm per year but exceed 2000 mm per year in many
mountainous areas. Dublin City sits in the east of the country at the
foot of the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains. Although there are several
medium to small rivers and two canals within the GDA there are no
substantial natural lakes within 50 km of the city. Furthermore, no
major aquifers exist within Dublin City Councils jurisdictional
boundary.
The historic development of Dublins water supply underlies some of

its current problems.

Sourcing of water within its own jurisdiction and from the
jurisdictions of the other local authorities is a practice that is likely
to continue to create problems for the GDA in the future. The city
has a system of water supply that has been in existence for
approximately three-quarters of a millennium. The medieval city of
Dublins water supply was drawn from watercourses within the city
environs (Rivers Poddle and Dodder and the Grand Canal) until the
middle of the 19th century, when the supply became deficient both
in quality and quantity for the growing population. The Dublin
Corporation, as the Dublin City Council was formerly known,
Waterworks Act of 1861 enabled a new source of water from a
neighboring county at Roundwood, County Wicklow to be
developed. The water from this source was conveyed to a large
open service reservoir at Stillorgan (Fig. 1). A further Parliamentary
Act of 1880 enabled the development of impoundment reservoirs at
Bohernabreena on the River Dodder, from which raw water was
conveyed to a slow sand filtration plant at Ballyboden (Fig. 1). This
plant was subsequently replaced in 1955 with a physico-chemical
treatment system. These storage schemes provided sufficient water
to Dublin City until the 1930s when a rapid population expansion
occurred, from 505,654 in 1926 to 718,333 in 1961, while the
population of the country as a whole remained relatively static
during this period,. The consumption of water, which had remained
static for over 60 years, began to grow. When it transpired that the
Electricity Supply Board (ESB) planned to develop a hydro-electric
scheme by constructing a dam on the River Liffey at Poulaphuca,
County Wicklow, Dublin Corporation decided to become a partner,
and this arrangement was legalized in the Liffey Reservoir Act of
1936. This scheme, with a treatment plant at Ballymore Eustace,
County Kildare, provided for a virtual doubling of the available
supply at that time to the city south of the River Liffey and sufficed
until about 1970. To cater for increased water demand in north
Dublin, provision was made during the construction of another dam
on the River Liffey at Leixlip, County Kildare by the ESB for the
development of a water supply, and construction of the first phase
of a treatment works and pumping station commenced in 1966.
Following treatment at the Leixlip works, water is pumped to a
service reservoir at Ballycoolan, from where it flows gravitationally
to the distribution area of north County Dublin (Fig. 1). A timeline
summarizing key dates in the development of Dublins water supply
system is presented in Figure 2. Since the 1970s, the water
treatment plant at Ballymore Eustace has been in a state of nearly
constant expansion and is now at its treatment capacity design
limit. As development extended beyond the administrative area of
the city over the decades, Dublin City Council assumed the role of
lead local authority, i.e., network operator, for water and

wastewater services provision across what has become known as

the Dublin Region Water Supply Area (WSA[1]), a supply area that
includes all of Dublin and also parts of the adjacent counties of
Wickow, Kildare, and Meath. Dublin City Council was the
coordinating authority for the Eastern River Basin District in the first
cycle of Water Framework Directive activities, the coordinating
authority for the Eastern Region Waste Management, and a
designated key player with respect to the floods, Marine Strategy
Framework, industrial emissions, and other Directives. Also, Dublin
City Council is pivotal in the integration envisioned in the new
National Spatial Strategy where planning, utility infrastructure,
ecosystem services, flood defence, and many other water resource
related challenges must be addressed in a holistic manner and with
multicriteria decision making that optimizes solutions for all rather
than maximizes solutions for specific sectors or interested
stakeholders. In the current second cycle of WFD activities, a larger,
national coordinating role has been given to the Environmental
Protection Agency.
FIGURE1 FIGURE2
Dublins ongoing dependence on a Victorian era infrastructure is
costly.
Environmental legislation in the late 19th century and early 20th
century brought about gradual improvements in urban sanitation
and housing conditions in Irish cities, particularly Dublin (Bannon
1985). However, much of the city is reliant on a distribution network
that now dates back to Victorian times (1800s), particularly in the
city centre comprising mainly old cast iron and ductile iron mains.
Current losses due to leakage are estimated to be in the region of
29% (Dublin City Council 2010b), and even with the use of the
most modern technologies to locate and remediate faulty lines, only
relatively minor volumes of water have been retained to date.
Demand is increasing as the population of the GDA continues to
grow.
Ireland has seen very strong population growth rates of ~30% over
the two decades between 1991 and 2011 reaching 4.6 million today.
Of this, 1.3 million reside in Dublin (Central Statistics Office 2012)
representing a significant increase from the 1.2 million living in the
city and its suburbs in 2006. However, as outlined by Redmond et
al. (2012), regional variations are apparent. Looking at population
change back to 1991 within the GDA, Dublin City recorded
population growth of 24% over this period whereas there was
exceptional growth of 63% experienced in the surrounding Mid-East
Region, which comprises the Counties of Wicklow, Kildare, and
Meath, over the same period. Redmond et al. (2012) also noted that
these Dublin figures mask exceptional internal population shifts with
some areas recording growth as high as 79% compared to 10%
elsewhere.

Future population projections, contained in the Regional Planning

Guidelines, for the Greater Dublin Area comprising Dublin and MidEast Region, envisage a national population of ~5.4 million by 2022
with 2.1 million or 40% of those residing in the GDA by 2022 (Table
1). On the basis of these high population scenarios being achieved,
the Irish Academy of Engineering (2007) identified the possibility of
a national population of 8 million by 2100, with a GDA population
share maintained at 40%.
TABLE1
The continuation of population dispersal across the GDA, consistent
with an urban sprawl settlement pattern, presents challenges for
those charged with the responsibility of providing infrastructure in
an efficient and cost-effective way (Redmond et al. 2012).
Demographic trends also indicate net growth in the number of
households associated with a continuing decline in average
household size. This generates supply challenges because there are
economies of scale in water consumption associated with larger
households relative to smaller households.
To improve the functioning of the GDA and the efficiency of service
delivery, Regional Planning Guidelines for the GDA have provided for
the majority of future population growth to be targeted within the
metropolitan area, i.e., the contiguous built-up area, with the
balance of growth being primarily targeted at other key growth
locations along transport corridors within the wider hinterland of the
GDA, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In addition, GDA Regional Planning
Guidelines have been published in relation to flooding risk
assessment and guidelines are also being prepared in relation to
integration with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive
and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
FIGURE3
Given the sustained growth in the size of the economy until the
demise of the Celtic Tiger period in 2008 and thereafter, and the
associated growth in population and employment, the regional
imbalance between population and access to water resources has
reached a tipping point with demand for treated water in the Dublin
Region WSA, that includes parts of the Mid-East counties, currently
exceeding the sustainable production capacity of the existing major
water treatment plants (Dublin City Council 2010b).
Notwithstanding the current economic downturn of the last five
years that has resulted in what are considered to be short-term
reduced water demand growth rates, Dublin City Council (2010b)
has recognized that if not addressed, water shortages are likely to
become more common and that for the horizon to 2040, supply
levels will need to increase from the current value of 550 million
liters/day to 800 million liters/day. This projected deficit is based on
the most likely planning and climate change scenario.
Water management in Ireland has historically focused on expanding

water supply.
Demand growth only in recent years has been met by some
improved leakage management, water conservation initiatives, and
by operating the water treatment plants that service the city beyond
their sustainable production capacity. As a consequence, there is
little redundancy or headroom in the system and this was
evidenced during the prolonged cold spell in the winters of 2009
and 2010 that identified a major vulnerability to Dublins water
supply in freezing conditions. The issues were twofold. First, the
length and severity of the cold spell allowed the frost line to reach
the depth of buried pipes (typically 750 mm below the surface),
causing numerous bursts in the distribution network. The situation
was compounded by the high prevalence of poor condition, older
pipe stock within the system, a state known to contribute to high
levels of unaccounted-for-water (Trow and Farley 2006). Heavy
leakage coincided with the return of warmer ambient temperatures.
It is likely that this vulnerability can be addressed in the future by
aligning Irish construction standards in such matters more closely
with those present in colder countries or where climate change
projections are similar to that of Ireland. Second, and undoubtedly
contributed to by the fact that Ireland, at that time, did not charge
for domestic water usage, short-term demand increases resulted
from homeowners letting water taps run continuously during this
cold period to prevent water freezing in domestic pipes. This
produced a situation where, although ample supply remained in raw
water reservoirs, stores of treated water diminished rapidly and
required water authorities to curtail or temporarily cut supplies in
some areas. Similar curtailments to the Dublin water supply have
also arisen in periods of drought where insufficient raw water is
available to meet demand.
Here again, as in the past, water shortages are most likely to be
addressed by exploiting new sources of supply and the need for
these was highlighted in 1996 in a high-level assessment of Dublins
water supplies (DEHLG 1996). Therefore, with all existing water
supply sources fully developed to their sustainable supply limits
(627 mega-liters) a strategic regional project known as the Water
Supply Project Dublin Region has been developed to plan the
delivery of a long-term water supply for the GDA. This has involved
the evaluation of various potential water supply options and
combinations of options that included abstraction/storage options
from Lough Derg in the Shannon River Basin and from the River
Barrow, groundwater abstraction from the nearby Kildare Aquifer
(no major aquifers exist within the Dublin City boundary), and
desalination of Irish Sea water to meet the future needs of the
Dublin Region WSA. Although the Kildare aquifer is the largest sand
and gravel aquifer in the country with an annual average recharge
of 284 mm (Misstear et al. 2008) and could support an additional

supply of 5 mega-liters/day (Kildare County Council 1999), the

aquifer supports the base flow in a number of other river
headwaters and some sensitive ecosystems, e.g., Pollardstown Fen,
a natural heritage site of national importance. Furthermore, results
of monitoring this aquifer during and after the construction of a
section of interurban motorway , the Kildare bypass, in a cutting
that intersected the top of the aquifer indicates a large and
relatively long-lived response to water extraction (M. Bruen, G. van
Wirdum, T. Hayes, E. Farrell, L. Brown, P. Johnston, P. Devine, and
J. Coppinger, 2010, unpublished manuscript) and any development
of it as a water supply resource would therefore need to be
balanced against adverse impacts on its ecological function.
Although desalination was also assessed as an alternative for
supplementing Dublins water supply, the energy requirement and
the associated cost of treatment were considered significantly
higher than the other alternatives. For example it was estimated
that the energy requirement for an east coast desalination plant
would be three to four times that required for the Shannon water
transfer scheme (Dublin City Council 2010b) even with tremendous
advances in leading edge technologies such as forward osmosis.
Thus, the Shannon abstraction option emerged from a feasibility
study of these options in 2005 and detailed assessments of the
hydrological and environmental impacts of this scheme are currently
being considered. The adopted plan proposes the abstraction of raw
water from Lough Derg (River Shannon, ~120 km from Dublin) and
pumping the abstracted water through a new pipeline to a proposed
storage reservoir at a cut-away bog in the Irish midlands (in County
Offaly) with treated water transported via pipeline to the Dublin
Region (Dublin City Council 2010b). Although technical feasibility
issues have been carefully analyzed, as outlined above, less
attention seems to have been devoted to local concerns relating to:
the level of public consultation generally; and, to consultation
specifically about a potential loss of regional resources to sustain
Dublin growth while, inter alia, a high leakage rate persists there.
In conjunction with increasing the supply, a limited range of water
demand management measures to augment, rather than provide an
alternative water supply source, are being implemented in Dublin.
Measures currently in place include leakage reduction through repair
and rehabilitation of the existing water main infrastructure, controls
of mains water pressures and reduction of consumption and leakage
in the nondomestic sector by volumetric metering and water
charging since 2008. Some programs of measures have also been
implemented previously to improve the management of existing
supplies of potable water. Between 1996 and 2002, the Dublin
Region Water Conservation Project that implemented a real-time
telemetric system for monitoring the distribution of water in the city
facilitated the implementation of efficient leakage management

plans that reduced leakage in the water supply network from 43%
to 29% (Dublin City Council 2010b). The Dublin Region Watermains
Rehabilitation Project (2007 - 2012) represents a further program of
investment in the citys infrastructure that replaces older segments
of the network, together with further planned investment targets a
20% leakage rate by 2040. A rate of this order, although high in
comparison to other European cities (Forfs 2008), is considered to
be the economic level for a Victorian network of the type in Dublin
(Dublin City Council 2010b). Local authorities in the Dublin Region
WSA have also engaged in water demand management educational
initiatives such as the Mr. Drippy school campaign and Tap Tips
(http://www.taptips.ie), both of which provide guidance on reducing
water consumption in homes and gardens. Although significant
efforts to date to capitalize upon demand-side management
opportunities have been undertaken by Dublin City Council, the
development of these options is still relatively novel in Ireland when
compared to the more conventional supply expansion options. As
such, opportunities for further developing these and additional
measures likely remain underexploited, e.g., widespread use of
conservation devices such as low-flow toilet and showerhead
adaptations, purple line installations for the reuse of storm water
for nonsanitary water uses, rainwater collection systems for
showering, etc.
Charges for domestic water supplies are not yet in place.
Costs for the provision of domestic water utilities in Ireland,
including Dublin City, are currently met in large part by the
Exchequer. National and European policies however, have
recognized for some time now that full cost recovery for water
services was to be in place by 2010 in line with the Cost Recovery
Principles (Article 9) of the Water Framework Directive (EC 2000,
Forfs 2008), and although this has remained a central plank of
funding strategies for national water resources management, the
introduction of universal domestic water charges in Ireland will
apply from late 2014, following the set-up of Irish Water, the new
single water utility company for the entire country. The downturn in
the economic cycle and the associated decline in exchequer
revenue, together with the requirement under the terms of the EU/IMF bailout forced a government rethink on the matter. At peak
there was an annual investment of almost 600m in Irish water
services infrastructure via the Water Services Investment
Programme (WSIP) but this was almost halved during the economic
downturn. Consequently, the government has announced that
charging for domestic water usage will commence in the final
quarter of 2014 with the first bills being issued by Irish Water to
household consumers in January 2015. At this time, the installation
of water meters in up to 90% of residential properties (it is
estimated that 10% of Irish properties are unsuitable for metering,

e.g., many apartments) has commenced, with a roll-out period of

four years, after which volumetric charging of domestic water will
be fully operational, although the timescale remains subject to some
debate. It has been decided that a free allowance (30,000 liters)
will be provided to all users with charges being incurred only when
this free threshold is exceeded. Additional allowances will be
allocated to children. This will be subject to review in 2016.
The legislation setting up Irish Water does not make explicit
provision for full cost recovery, nor does it set out a basis for
charges other than to stipulate that following adoption by the
government, they will be regulated by the Commissioner for Energy
Regulation, who also has responsibility for regulating Irish Water. It
is expected that initial water charges will be based on estimates of
the cost of supplying water and wastewater services, however it
may be some years before the full cost is known. A private
members amendment bill was initiated in 2014 to provide for the
accounts of Irish Water to be subject to inspection by the
Comptroller and Auditor General, but has not been enacted. Thus,
full details of costs may not be made public through this forum. The
Act does provide for borrowing (up to 500,000,000) by Irish Water
and the guaranteeing of such borrowing by the government. Any
monies paid by the government on foot of this guarantee have to be
repaid by Irish Water and indirect indication in the legislation that it
is intended to be self-financing. Interestingly however, the
legislation does provide for any shortfall in repayments to be made
up from government funds, allowing the possibility of losses and
thus less than full cost recovery.
Nevertheless, volumetric charging is expected to reverse the
upward trend in per capita consumption that is currently of the
order of 150 l/person/day to 130 l/person/day by 2030 (Dublin City
Council 2010b). It should be noted however, that although
introducing domestic water charges is expected to reduce
consumption, at least initially, this reduction itself is not likely to be
sufficient to meet Dublin Citys longer term supply objectives. It is
also less clear whether the expected initial reduction in consumption
because of charges will be maintained in the longer term.
Uncertainty in the context of climate change has yet to be fully
addressed.
It is widely recognized that climate change will pose further
challenges for the management and governance of water resources.
In the case of Ireland, climate change is predicted to cause an
increase in average summer/autumn temperatures toward the end
of this century of 3.0 to 3.4C and average precipitation amounts
beyond 2060 are for autumns and winters to be wetter by 15% to
20% and for summers to be dryer by 10% to 18% (McElwain and
Sweeney 2003, Dunne et al. 2008). Also expected are increases in
the frequency of extreme flooding events (Leahy and Kiely 2011).

Although regional differences are not very clear from the

simulations, the largest increases in summer/autumn temperatures
and the largest decreases in summer precipitation are expected in
the southeast and eastern parts of Ireland, which includes Dublin.
The increase in average autumn/winter precipitation amounts are
expected to be greater than the decrease in summer amounts so
the net annual prediction is for more precipitation. However, from a
water supply point of view, the expected increase in temporal
variability means that benefits of this can only be achieved if the
increase in autumn/winter rainfall can be stored and used in the
dryer summer periods.
Dublin does have access to a number of large reservoirs for water
supply, but they are currently, as previously mentioned, operating
close to full capacity. In the latter half of this century, the
possibilities of increasing the usable storage in these lakes will arise,
but this is likely to be costly and controversial.

THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE AND NEW

EVOLVING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES
Apart from the climate change, urbanization, hydrological,
hydraulic, metering, and other supply challenges outlined above,
Ireland, and thus Dublin City is also currently undergoing an
unprecedented transformation in its link to government
departments and agencies, institutional entities, governance
structures, and reporting mechanisms under the governments
Policy Document entitled Putting People First with far-reaching
implications for all local and public authority staff in relation to
legal, financial, personnel, relocation, and administrative/reporting
arrangements with respect to water services delivery. Each local
authoritys new public water services section will interact with Irish
Water under a Service Level Agreement (SLA), but in fact the
broader range of water resource interests and statutory
requirements will also have to be managed as a seamless
extension of the SLA water services arrangements to include all
local and public authorities cited in the transposition of the Water
Framework Directive and their designated staff working under nonSLA arrangements to complete the hydrological cycle, so to speak.
Before describing what is currently known about the newly forming
governance structures for Irelands, and consequently the GDAs,
water services and water resources management, a brief review of
the most recent and transitioning current structure is warranted.
Most recent and current structure
This section outlines, in summary, the roles and responsibilities of
the key actors and organizations involved in the provision, control,
finance, and regulation of water services in Ireland in most recent
history and/or at present. However, it should be noted that this
precise institutional arrangement is in an unprecedented state of
flux.

The European Union (EU) formulates relevant water quality

legislation at European level, which is transposed into national law
by the Irish parliament. The EU also has a monitoring function and
can pursue legal cases against member countries of the EU for
failure to implement EU directives. The Irish Department of the
Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) is a
central government department responsible for setting policy and
controlling capital expenditure on water services provision. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the technical and
environmental regulator for drinking water and wastewater services
in Ireland.
Formerly the local authorities (City and County Councils) had the
primary responsibility for the provision of the urban public water
and wastewater services, in addition to large rural water supply
schemes. Rural Group Water Schemes are voluntary cooperatives
providing potable water on a small scale to customers in some rural
communities. They are developed, operated, and maintained by the
user group. Individual supplies for single dwellings or industrial
enterprises are quite common in rural Ireland. The local authorities
are responsible for the supervision of any group water schemes and
private water supplies in their areas and for carrying out various
water-related inspection and enforcement activities. The EPA has
statutory responsibility for the supervision of the quality of water
and wastewater services delivered by the local authorities.
In addition to being a basic public health requirement, water
services are also recognized as a potential critical constraint on
population growth and the supply of land for enterprise
development. Therefore, water supply and wastewater services are
also key considerations in the urban planning process at regional
(e.g., Regional Planning Guidelines for the GDA) and city or county
plan scales (see Gkartzios and Scott 2009 for more details about
the Irish planning system). Before the creation of Irish Water, the
Irish Local Authorities were required to consider their own individual
water services investment strategy when making development plans
that provide for future development patterns. In this context, Dublin
had already identified the provision of a sustainable water supply as
a potential development constraint, where, as previously outlined,
there is substantial and continuing population growth. However, as
noted earlier, there were major administrative and resource
availability challenges.
The Irish Government recently announced the transfer of
responsibility for water services provision from the local authorities
to a single public water utility, Irish Water, (Irish Government
2013). Currently, in Ireland, direct charges for the provision of
water and wastewater services to domestic customers will, as
previously mentioned, commence with the introduction of domestic
water metering. Nondomestic customers currently pay water

charges on the basis of metered consumption according to prices

set by their local authority. This is usually a combination of a flat
standing charge and a metered charge based on actual volumes
used. There is an established methodology for the assessment of
what represents full cost recovery of nondomestic water and
sewerage charges. Furthermore, local authorities also levy a (onceoff) development contribution in respect of public infrastructure,
including water and wastewater infrastructure[2], benefiting
development in an area as a condition of planning permission (for
discussion see Clinch and ONeill 2010). However, the lack of a
published methodology on full cost accounting and recovery
pursuant to the definition of water services under the Water
Framework Directive is a significant omission to date on the part of
the Irish Government, which, if not addressed, may have
repercussions for the future of water resources governance in
Ireland.
In 2011, Ireland conceded to the European Commission that it had
made an improper interpretation of the definition of water services
in materials submitted to the Commission pursuant to the
requirements of the Cost Recovery principles of Article 9 of the
Water Framework Directive, i.e., with respect to full cost accounting
of water services and charging for water services. Ireland now
concedes that the externalized costs associated with all uses of
water, including the environmental and resource costs of water
use, i.e., not just those inherent in the provision of water and
sewerage services, must be identified, and a charging system
incorporating the objective of internalizing these costs as well must
be implemented nationwide (EC 2012:1). However, although
essential for the transparency and integrity of a cost structure,
determining the methods by which full cost recovery will be made
operational in the context of future infrastructural investment and
charging structures with regard to the true value of water, is
complex. This complexity is reflected in the different interpretations
of the water pricing principle in the WFD across EU member states
and to the activities and sectors to which the cost recovery applies.
In the run-up to the 2014 local and European elections, the issue of
applying water charges in Ireland for domestic customers was at
the forefront of the national political agenda. Although the full
details of the pricing structure have yet to be finalized, it is
accepted, as previously mentioned, that bills, either in full or in
part, will be linked to the amount of water consumed or discarded.
This, to a degree, will be consistent with the requirements of the
WFD in that the policy will incentivize the efficient use of water and
thereby contribute to its environmental objectives.
Newly forming governance structure
Reform of public water services in Ireland has led to the formation
of Irish Water, a public water utility, within the Bord Gas ireann

(BGE-Irish Gas Supply Company) group, that is set to take over

supply of potable water and management of wastewater services
from local authorities. The key driver for establishment of Irish
Water is essentially a requirement of the Irish economy bail-out
arrangements in 2009 with the Troika (International Monetary
Fund, World Bank, and the European Union). Irish Water is
specifically charged with furthering the objective to internalize the
costs of providing potable water and sewerage services for all users,
including domestic consumers, in accordance with the Cost
Recovery principles of Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive.
The Troika requires that Ireland charge domestic customers directly
for drinking water in line with the legislation, policy, and procedures
of the EU as is being implemented in all other EU Member States,
and in the context of nonrevenue water/ unaccounted-for water
being as high as 40% in some urban areas, including Dublin.
Funding this drinking water supply service indirectly through
taxation was deemed to be inefficient, with no clear incentive to
tackle the leakages and conserve water, and also with potential
productivity and efficiency gains achievable through a single public
water utility for the whole country benefiting from economics of
scale (DECLG 2012). The Troika further required the introduction of
appropriate emerging technology, including better
organization/management, reliable metering and smart networks,
and customer-focused service delivery with a transparent and
trustworthy billing system. The Irish Government concluded that the
investment required to update the old Irish infrastructure could not
be met by available near-term public funds alone. Accordingly, a
major deciding factor in establishing Irish Water was its inherent
ability to directly access private capital to bring the system of
drinking water sourcing/abstraction, treatment/production, storage,
and distribution up to the required standards. Meeting the
requirements of the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Waste
Water Treatment (UWWT) Directive, even in a relatively costeffective manner, requires significant investment, far beyond what
the government can currently provide.
The key policy document driving the organizational issues
associated with Irish Water is entitled Putting People First. Its
contents communicate the current governments aim to radically
reform local government in Ireland by, among other things, the
integration and harmonization of utility and ecosystem services at a
regional level.
Incorporating the principles of IWRM into decision making and
management
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been defined
as the co-ordinated development and management of water, land
and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic
and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the

sustainability of vital ecosystems (GWP 2000:22). Fittingly for this

paper, the Dublin International Convention on Water and
Environment Issues (held in January 1992 to approve a statement
on Water for the United Nations Rio Conference) provided one of the
important steps toward global recognition of the need for IWRM.
The important aspects are: (i) It recognizes all the uses of water;
and (ii) It recognizes that water resources developments must be
considered in conjunction with other natural resources. Although
there are many who question whether IWRM can actually work in
practice (e.g., Biswas 2008), most would likely agree with the
objectives of IWRM and support some of its fundamentals, e.g.,
multidisciplinary approach or consultation with stakeholders. There
is no recognition that there are practical limits to the range and
number of factors that can be addressed by IWRM in any particular
setting. This is in contrast to the Water Framework Directive, which
sets the limits on measures not involving excessive costs. Also, it
is not clear that the complex institutional frameworks and linkages
necessary for IWRM do not inhibit the flexibility and adaptability of
the organizations involved (e.g., Fischhendler and Heikkila 2010). In
Dublins case, the critical nature of its water supply-demand balance
will require this flexibility, particularly to implement new and novel
solutions given the need to acquire new sources and storages
outside its administrative boundaries.
Progress to date and limitations with respect to governance
There is already a rationalization of the number of local authorities
and Putting People First establishes three regions for Ireland
(Connaught/Ulster, Eastern/Midlands, and Southern Region).
Legislation for Irish Water has been enacted, but much of the detail
is left to its implementation by statutory instruments or ministerial
orders that will define in more detail what powers, duties,
responsibilities, and accountabilities will be enshrined for Irish Water
in relation to several key areas. These are expected to include: (1)
capital and operating finance issues; (2) commencement date for
collection of water charges; (3) planning/development issues under
the Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP); (4) Competent
authorities for making decisions with regard to the requirements for
Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact
Assessment, Nature Impact Statement/Appropriate Assessment,
etc. and what thresholds will apply for strategic infrastructure
development via An Bord Pleanla; (5) licensing issues regarding
the operations/activities of works and pipe networks; (6)
monitoring; and (7) relationships with competent authorities
governing uses of natural waters and the funding streams for
ecosystem services, flood/drought management, etc.
To date the Minister has provided for Irish Water to be a fully stateowned subsidiary company of BGE (an existing state-owned
company and itself a regulated utility), and will be established as a

public water utility operating nationally and subject to various

regulatory, planning, financial, and other requirements of
institutions of state including, inter alia, Department for Finance,
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
(DECLG), National Parks and Wildlife Service, Health Service
Executive, Environmental Protection Agency, planning authorities,
and An Bord Pleanla, in addition to requiring statutory consultation
in a number of areas. Primary and secondary legislation has only
recently been enacted and the success (or otherwise) of their
implementation is yet to be seen. However, ultimately Irish Water,
through its Board and CEO, is required to be accountable to the
various interdepartmental and Oireachtas (parliamentary)
committees (as is the parent Company BGE), in addition to
complying with all relevant EU and Irish legislation relating to
Drinking Water Directives, UWWT Directives, etc. However, it is
legitimate to deliberate as to whether Irish Water will be sufficiently
accountable to the people of Ireland relative to the previous more
localized governance arrangements. At the national level, there is
ongoing national bargaining between the government/DECLG and
the unions representing the local authority/Sanitary Authority
Workers at various grades of employment (engineers, fitters, etc.).
With a myriad of employment contracts with widely varying terms
and conditions of employment, including pension arrangements, in
many instances unions have called for noncooperation. However,
12-year Service Level Agreements (SLAs) have been agreed to
address the relationships between Irish Water (and its regional
offices) and each sanitary service, fire service, etc. as part of each
local authority following full implementation of the government
policy Putting People First. Separate detailed public authority
agreements are also being drafted with reference to good working
relations with relevant public authorities that are competent
authorities in certain areas such as Office of Public Works
(responsible for drainage), Electricity Supply Board, Health Service
Executive, Environmental Protection Agency, etc. Several protocols
have now been drafted in relation to a range of operational issues
for Irish Water and its regional offices, e.g., procurement,
monitoring, training-human capital via Water Services National
Training Group, Accreditation/CPD, and these are the subject of
discussion between the City and County Managers Association
(especially its Water Committee), the Water Services Transition
Office, the existing Sanitary Authorities, and many other interested
parties.
Putting People First also aspires to greater public engagement and
consultation and democratization of decision making in relation to
water services. Accordingly Ireland is perhaps juggling with the
ultimate all-inclusive, multicriteria, decision-making framework (i.e.,
multidiscipline, mutisectoral, and multiscale), the common criticism

of which is that such an approach inevitably leads to protracted

decision making.

DISCUSSION
Dublin as an EU capital is unique in terms of its archaeology, built
and natural heritage, and hydro-geology, all of which pose huge
challenges to get the balance right between economic and
infrastructural demands and its long-standing commitment to the
preservation of ecological services, water aesthetics, etc. On the
other hand the GDA is faced with the challenges of population
increase/migration and climate change on a scale that exacerbates
the national geographic mismatch between rainfall and water
demand.
As noted earlier, water supplies for cities throughout the world are
now often assessed in the context of IWRM. Furthermore, IWRM is
often set in the context of water governance and its spatial scale is
an important issue, and although there is general agreement that
the natural spatial scale for IWRM is the catchment, it is not as clear
what is (if any) an appropriate scale for good governance structures
(Bai et al. 2010). Consequently water governance initiatives take
place at a variety of spatial scales: there are many reports of water
governance at national scales, e.g., Israel (Fischhendler and
Heikkila 2010), South Africa (Schreiner and van Koppen 2003),
Mexico (OECD 2013a), Sweden (Aspegren et al. 1997; P. Balmr,
unpublished manuscript); at city scales, e.g., Harare (Manzungu
and Mabiza 2004); and at regional scales, e.g., Andalusia and
Catalonia (Bel et al. 2013), California (Kallis et al. 2009, Lubell and
Lippert 2010), Awash Basin, Ethiopia (Water Governance Centre
2013), and Ruaha River Basin, Tanzania (Lankford et al. 2004).
Good water governance also has an international dimension. For
instance, it has been adopted as one of three key elements in the
Asian Development Banks strategy for poverty reduction (ADB
2004) together with pro-poor sustainable economic growth and
inclusive social development. The European Union has addressed
the issue of water quality and managed a degree of collaboration
and coordination, but its Water Framework Directive is insufficiently
comprehensive to qualify as IWRM (Rahaman et al. 2004). The
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
has made the assertion that the current water crisis is not a crisis
of scarcity but a crisis of mismanagement, with strong public
governance features (OECD 2011:17). This is due to institutional
fragmentation, poorly managed multilevel governance, unclear
allocation of roles, lack of integrity and transparency, poor economic
regulation, and poorly drafted legislation (OECD 2013b). To this list
could be added that inadequate measurement of performance
(including definitions of appropriate indicators) causes deficiencies
in accountability and transparency. In contrast, the latter can be
enhanced through social learning, promoted by experimentation

that is being increasingly recognized (Bos et al. 2013), especially in

the early stages of a transition between governance structures
(Rijke et al. 2013). This is particularly relevant to Dublin (and
Ireland) because it is in transition from water services being
provided by local authorities to a governance system whereby water
services are provided by a public water utility operating nationally
that is subject to economic regulation. In general, governance
structures that discourage private investment in the water sector
have not been looked upon favorably by the majority of those
promoting the concept of good governance, particularly with respect
to developing countries (Helmer and Hespanhol 1997).
At present, the Irish Governments stated intent in relation to
governance is that by 2017, Dublin City Council will cease to be the
provider of water and wastewater utilities for the Dublin Region
WSA and Irish Water will take over these responsibilities in full.
Although some details regarding the intended administrative
structure of the organization are available, it remains unclear
whether or to what extent this new organization will serve as the
integrator of Dublin Citys and the other competent authorities
broader water resources management activities. It would appear
that any future administrative framework for the management of
Dublin Citys water services, as now interpreted by the Irish
Government, would have Irish Water managing potable water and
wastewater treatment services with perhaps some other umbrella
institution or combinations of institutions overseeing the activities of
the likes of the Office of Public Works (managing flood control), the
Inland and Sea Fisheries Boards (managing fisheries), local
authorities and An Bord Pleanla (managing land use and
development), Geological Survey of Ireland (technical services and
advice in relation to groundwater), Waterways Ireland (managing
inland waters navigation), EPA and local authorities (managing
surface water quality), etc. The nature of how these authorities are
organized remains unclear but will have a great bearing on the
extent to which water governance in Ireland and the GDA are
generally in line with the principles of IWRM. Supply options for the
GDA have yet to go through the rigors of a complete Strategic
Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment,
Appropriate Assessment and their associated public participation
processes. It is as yet unclear how these options will be assessed
within the emerging governance structures.
However, implementation of such a radical change will result in
numerous political, governance, and public acceptability concerns.
Concerns articulated to date relate in large part to:
The lack of regional balance in development, and the sustained
growth of Dublin at the expense of growth and development in
other regions (see Clinch and ONeill 2009 for review of regional
policy initiatives and concerns.),

The associated potential for overabstractions of water by Dublin City

water users at the expense of those who rely upon the Shannon
River Basin water environment for their welfare as well habitats and
biodiversity, and
The lack of local legitimacy in the management of the Shannon
River Basin with Dublin City having a disproportionate and
inappropriate role in its future management (EEA 2012).
Also, the principle of transferring ownership and control of water
services infrastructure, which is currently subject to local
democratic accountability via locally elected councillors, to a public
water utility without any direct democratic accountability is likely to
be central to the debate over the future governance responsibilities
developed for Irish Water. Given that Irish Water will benefit from a
very substantial transfer of assets from local authorities (historic
capital investment worth billions of euro, and development
contribution funds collected) and also receive control of a critical
environmental and life-sustaining natural resource, accountability to
the citizen and the consumer will be paramount. However, it is not
yet clear how Irish Water will be held accountable in practice, so the
development of an accountable and transparent governance
structure will be critical to the public acceptability of its decision
making, and this will be further compounded by the fact that the
public will become a consumer upon implementation of a pricing
system.
The application of such pricing, and the process through which such
a cost recovery model will be implemented, is subject to
increasing public debate. Ultimately a number of issues will
influence the calibration of the future price facing consumers. Key
considerations, inter alia, include: achievement of reduced water
demand and reduced water wastage (static efficiency); provision of
ongoing incentives to encourage investment in water saving
technologies (dynamic efficiency); a pricing structure that is
administratively feasible and easily understandable to consumers; a
pricing structure that is seen to be equitable and fair to all
consumers; while, at the same time, raising sufficient revenue to
sustain and invest in water and wastewater infrastructure, and
provide a high-quality service; and also achieve sufficient level of
social and political acceptability.
Clearly, the calibration of an appropriate pricing structure is
complex, yet it is central to the successful reform of the Irish water
sector. Moreover, coordination and prioritization of investment
decisions will also be required between local planning authorities
and Irish Water. Indeed, local authorities will still raise development
contributions for water and wastewater infrastructure benefiting its
area (DECLG 2013) and the legislation provides for the funds to be
transferred to Irish Water. Therefore, it is important that further
research be undertaken to support and study the design of different

methodologies for full cost accounting and recovery, a framework

for prioritizing investment, and also the new governance approaches
that emerge. A meaningful mechanism for the public to engage with
the new governance (including regulatory) structures for water
resources will be critical to its success for both people and the
environment. Ethical considerations, such as fairness in who bears
costs and who gains, equity considerations in terms of access to
potable water and sanitation, and public and private health and
aesthetics will likely be central to present and future evaluations of
the emerging governance structures. In light of these points, on the
legislative front, additional consideration should be given to a more
complete consolidation of legislation to facilitate more efficiency and
transparency in delivering, among other things, aquatic ecosystem
services, flooding/drought response services, fire response services,
etc.

CONCLUSIONS
There is little doubt that Dublin City and its hinterland are facing
pressing water supply challenges. At present it appears that these
challenges are still being addressed on a rather ad hoc basic with as
yet no clearly apparent integrated management or governance
framework, at least not one that encompasses the full suite of water
resources management needs beyond potable water supply and
sewage treatment. Such a framework would bring together the
range of bodies dealing with water supply, flood control, waste
assimilative capacity, fisheries, tourism, recreation, etc. At the core
of IWRM and explicitly required by the WFD is full cost accounting
that recognizes the true economic value of each service. This
includes recognition of ecosystem needs and the valuable functions
they provide in maintaining the health of Irelands water supply
sources, so called ecological governance (Brandes et al. 2005).
The advocates for, and managers of, the proposed Shannon water
abstraction project need to give due consideration to this in the
formal and detailed economic and environmental assessments
required to accompany the proposal. In the absence of a published
methodology on full cost accounting for the provision of water
services in Ireland, the ways in which this will ultimately be
achieved in the context of future infrastructure needs and actual
charging structures remains somewhat unclear. This being the case,
quantitatively analyzing water supply options and associated issues
for designing and exploring different approaches for full cost
accounting and recovery, and the relationship of these approaches
to the Irish Water governance structures would be a useful and
logical next step. A role exists for national third-level higher
education institutions for the gathering and analysis of these data
with a view to researching and supporting the emergence of new
and relevant governance approaches and outcomes.
The current spread of responsibilities and competing mandates, if

not adequately addressed by the emerging governance structures,

will hinder effective urban and indeed national water governance
with respect to many of the principles outlined in the introduction.
In terms of openness, transparency, participation, and
communication, the lingering legacy of past purely top-down,
decide-announce-defend approaches remains apparent. Improved
citizen participation, e.g., with respect to the emergence of Irish
Water, albeit not without its own challenges, is key to increasing
openness and transparency. Engaging the public in important
technical and scientific issues has always been a challenge,
particularly where there are multiple and conflicting objectives.
The extent to which university researchers have become involved in
tempering the ensuing debates with independent knowledge has
been highly variable from country to country and, in Ireland, has
yet to meet its full potential. There is a role for the university
academic as the independent broker in such debates. The linking
of such academics to international networks, such as Universitas 21,
enhances their credibility in such roles. This has not yet been
exploited in sustainability debates about Dublins water supply and
opportunities were largely missed in the development of Irelands
river basin management plans (Bruen et al. 2010), although the
present authors did contribute to the public consultation phase of
the Department of the Environments consultation on water sector
reform water services in Ireland (DECLG 2012). There is evidence
that when approached in a sensitive manner, at an early stage and
with the right tools, active public consultation can be a success
(Stocker et al. 2012).
At present equity is a cornerstone of water availability in Ireland.
The challenge is to maintain some degree of this equity while also
introducing incentives to use water resources more efficiently and
sustainably. This will require among other things policies that
further the transition from supply to demand management.
Ambiguity about institutional responsibilities in the role of delivering
water services is an underlying weakness with respect to
accountability. This is likely to get worse in the short term as shares
of responsibility change hands from local authorities to Irish Water.
In terms of coherency and integration some improvement on this
was made by Dublin City in evaluating and proposing the Shannon
interbasin transfer. Responsiveness by authorities to short-term,
weather-related water shortages and related issues is generally
effective (the performance of Irish Water in this regard remains to
be seen), but the relevant authorities also need to apply adaptive
management where institutional arrangements can flex more
readily to address long-term issues and unpredictability. It is
recognized that these principles can sometimes be in competition
with one other, e.g., equity and efficiency, but they nevertheless
provide a valuable framework for improving water governance.

Overall, there is room for Dublin and Ireland to improve upon

efficiency, sustainability, and integrated management of its water
resources, and to do so in a transparent manner that reflects the
principles of effective governance.
Strictly speaking, in terms of geographical extent, the Dublin
Region WSA is a subset of the GDA, however the terms Dublin
Region WSA and GDA are used slightly interchangeably.
[2]
The most recent data (2007/08) identifies that ~37% (national
aggregate) of the development contributions collected by local
authorities nationwide were expended on water and wastewater
infrastructure (DECLG 2013).
[1]

ACKNOWLEDGMENT_BLOCK (DO NOT EDIT)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The publication of this paper was supported by a grant from the
Seed Funding Scheme, University College Dublin.
END ACKNOWLEDGMENT_BLOCK

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http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol19/iss4/art10/#challengesfo11

EU Water Framework
Directive vs.
Integrated Water
Resources
Management: The
Seven Mismatches
The aim of this paper is to analyze how the EU
Water Framework Directive complies with the
international principles concerning Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM) agreed in
major conferences. The outcomes of the
International Conference on Water and
Environment (Dublin, 1992), the Second World
Water Forum (The Hague, 2000), the
International Conference on Freshwater (Bonn,
2001), and the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) (Johannesburg, 2002) were
compared with the EU Water Framework
Directive. Seven notable mismatches were found,
even though several EU countries have played a
leading role in those conferences. The question
arises whether the outcome of these conferences
is not efficient enough to influence EU policies
do the conferences just produce collections of

idealistic buzzwords or is there a requirement for

different principles regarding IWRM for
developing countries and developed countries?
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07900620412331319199

EU Water Framework Directive vs. Integrated IRISH Water

Resources Management: The Seven Mismatches
MUHAMMAD MIZANUR RAHAMAN, OLLI VARIS & TOMMI
KAJANDER
Water Resources Laboratory, Helsinki University of
Technology, Finland
ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyze how the EU
Water Framework Directive complies with the international
principles concerning Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM) agreed in major conferences. The
outcomes of the International Conference on Water and
Environment (Dublin, 1992), the Second World Water
Forum (The Hague, 2000), the International Conference on
Freshwater (Bonn, 2001), and the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD) (Johannesburg, 2002)
were compared with the EU Water Framework Directive.
Seven notable mismatches were found, even though
several EU countries have played a leading role in those
conferences. The question arises whether the outcome of
these conferences is not efcient enough to in u
ence EU
policiesdo the conferences just produce collections of
idealistic buzzwords or is there a requirement for different
principles regarding IWRM for developing countries and
developed countries?
Introduction
There is a growing recognition throughout the world of the
urgent need for Integrated Water Resources Management
for the effective and efcient manage- ment of water
resources. According to the Technical Advisory Committee
of Global Water Partnership (GWP, 2000, 2003) ``IWRM is
a process, which promotes the co-ordinated development
and management of water, land and related resources in
order to maximize the resultant economic and social
welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystem''.
Different international organizations are trying to promote
IWRM all over the world. In recent years a number of

conferences have been held to give specic guidelines for

promoting IWRM. The most in u
ential attempts in these
regards have been the Dublin Conference (January 1992),
the Second World Water Forum & Ministerial Conference
held in The Hague (March 2000), the International
Conference on Freshwater, Bonn (December 2001), and
the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
Johannesburg (2002). In all the conferences representatives of different international organizations,
government delegates from all
Correspondence Address: Olli Varis, Water Resources
Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, PO Box
5200, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland. Email: olli.varis@hut.
07900627 Print/13600648 Online/04/040565-11 2004
Taylor & Francis Ltd. DOI:
10.1080/07900620412331319199
566 M. Mizanur et al.
over the world, non-governmental organizations (NGO)
representatives and different donor agencies have shared
their views on new approaches for the assessment,
development and management of freshwater resources.
All four international conferences have highlighted the
participatory approach, women's role in decision making,
have considered water as an economic good and
promoted decentralization.
This paper takes one of the most in u
ential, contemporary
water policy tools into consideration, namely the European
Union Water Framework Directive (EU WFD). The aim is to
analyze how the EU WFD complies with the international
principles concerning Integrated Water Resources
Management agreed in major conferences and the WSSD
and focus on the mismatches between them. Whereas
these principles have been strongly in u
enced by
governments of several EU countries and they are meant
to be principally applicable throughout Europe and in
practice worldwidewhy are the principles of EU WFD in
discord with the principles of different internationally
agreed principles of water resources management?
International Events Focusing on IWRM
Several major international events have been held in the
past decade focusing on IWRM. Here, the outcomes of the

four most in u
ential ones are summarized.
Dublin 1992: International Conference on Water and
Environment
In January 1992, the International Conference on Water
and Environment Issues for the 21st century was held in
Dublin, Ireland. It served as the preparatory event for the
Rio Conference with respect to water issues. The
conference report set out recommendations for action at
local, national and international levels, based on four
guiding principles. Current thinking on the crucial issues in
water resources is heavily in u
enced by the Dublin
Principles (ICWE, 1992), which are:
1. Fresh water is a nite, vulnerable and essential
resource, which should be managed in an integrated
manner.
2. Water development and management should be based
on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and
policy makers at all levels.
3. Women play a central role in the provision,
management and safeguarding of water.
4. Water has an economic value and should be recognized
as an economic good, taking into account affordability and
equity criteria.
The Hague 2000: Second World Water Forum & Ministerial
Conference
The Second World Water Forum was held from 1722
March 2000 in The Hague, the Netherlands. In almost 100
sessions, more than 5700 participants from all over the
world discussed the urgency of the water crisis and
debated on the steps required to ensure the sufciency of
clean water for all of us in the future. Privatization of
water, or more precisely, the issue of public-private
partnerships, received a great deal of attention during the
forum. `Water is a basic human right'
Mismatches between the EU WFD and IWRM 567 was
another hot topic. The key issues raised in the Second
World Water Forum
(WWC, 2000) are:
1. Privatization: To achieve water security, water must be
everybody's business, but on the other hand the
government monopoly in water management should not
be replaced by a private monopoly.

2. Charging the full cost for water services: Users should

be charged the full cost of the services, with appropriate
subsidies made available to the poor.
3.
Righttoaccess:Waterisnotonlyconsideredessentialforhuman
health,itisalso desperately needed by millions of poor
women and men in rural areas for productive reasons: to
grow food for the family or generate income. Almost 90%
of water resources are used for agriculture. Right of land
and use of water are key determinates for people's
potential to break down the poverty trap.
4. Participation: Water can empower people, and women
in particular, through a participatory process of water
management. Participation implies sharing of power,
democratic participation of citizens in elaborating or
implementing water policies and projects, and in
managing water resources.
Bonn 2001: International Conference on Freshwater
In December 2001, the International Conference on
Freshwater took place in Bonn, focusing on water as a key
to sustainable development. The Bonn Conference was the
major preparatory event in the eld of water
management towards the Johannesburg Summit in 2002.
The conference brought together government delegates
from 118 countries, including 46 ministers,
representatives from 47 international organizations and
delegates of 73 organizations from major groups and the
civil society.
The conference reviewed the role of water in sustainable
development, took stock of progress in the
implementation of Agenda 21 and identied how its
implementation can be improved. Agenda 21 is the result
of many previous efforts and conferences that have
dened the challenges, development principles and
policies related to water and sustainable development.
There is often a gap between making such policies and
putting them into practice. The conference therefore
focused on practical ideas. The Bonn Keys are listed below
(ICFW, 2001a):
1. The rst key is to meet the water security needs of the
poor.
2. Decentralization is key. The local level is where national

policy meets
community needs.
3. The key to better water outreach is new partnerships.
4. The key to long-term harmony between nature and its
neighbours is cooperative arrangements at the water basin level, including
across waters that touch many shores. IWRM is therefore
needed to bring all water users together to share
information and make decisions.
5. The essential keys are stronger, better performing
governance arrangements.
Johannesburg 2002: The World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD)
In August and September 2002, the World Summit on
Sustainable Development
568 M. Mizanur et al.
was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. This Summit
brought together tens of thousands of participants,
including heads of states and governments, national
delegates and leaders from non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), businesses and other major groups.
The aim was to focus the world's attention and direct
action toward meeting difcult challenges, including
improving people's lives and conserving natural resources
in a world that is growing in population, with everincreasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation,
energy, health services and economic security.
By strongly reafrming commitment to Rio Principles and
commitment to the full implementation of Agenda 21, the
WSSD had a strong focus on IWRM. The main points of the
WSSD Plan of Implementation relating to IWRM are listed
below (WSSD, 2002):
1. Developing IWRM and water efciency plans by 2005
for all major river basins of the world.
2. Developing and implementing national/regional
strategies, plans and pro- grammes with regard to IWRM.
3. Improving the efciency of water usage.
4. Facilitating the establishment of public-private
partnership.
5. Developing gender sensitive policies and programmes.
6. Involving all concerned stakeholders in all kinds of
decision making,

management and implementation processes.

EU Water Framework Directive: An Overview
The increasing demand by citizens and environmental
organizations for cleaner rivers and lakes, groundwater
and coastal areas is evident. This demand by citizens is
one of the main reasons why the EU Commission has
made water protection one of the priorities of its work. To
ensure that polluted water is properly treated and clean
water is kept clean, the roles of citizens and citizens'
groups are crucial. For this reason the new EU Water
Framework Directive attempts to get citizens more
involved.
European Water Legislation was initiated in 1975, in a
`rst wave', with standards for rivers and lakes used for
drinking water abstraction, and culminated in 1980 in
setting binding quality targets for drinking water. The
Community Water Policy Ministerial Seminar in Frankfurt in
1988 reviewed the existing legislation, identied the gaps
and proposed a number of improvements. The outcome of
the Frankfurt Ministerial Seminar was the adoption of The
Urban Waste Water Directive (1991) and The Nitrates
Directive (1991). In its resolution of 25 February 1992 the
Council of the EU requested an action programme for
groundwater and a revision of Council Directive 80/68/EEC
on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused
by certain dangerous substances as part of the overall
policy on freshwater protection. On 10 November 1995,
the EU Environmental Agency presented an updated state
of the environment report `Environment in the European
Union 1995', conrming the need for action to protect
community waters in qualitative as well as in quantitative
terms. On 18 December 1995, the Council adopted
conclusions requiring the drawing up of a new Water
Framework Directive establishing the basic principles of
sustainable water policy in the European Union.
Mismatches between the EU WFD and IWRM 569
The EU Council on 25 June 1996, the Committee of the
Regions on 19 September 1996, the Economic and Social
Committee on 26 September 1996 and the European
Parliament on 23 October 1996, requested the
Commission to come forward with a proposal for a Water
Framework Directive. The European Parliament's

Environment Committee and the Council of Environmental

Ministers requested the Commission: ``Whilst EU actions
such as the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Waste
Water Directive can duly be considered milestones,
European Water Policy had to address problems in a
coherent way. This is why the new European Water Policy
was developed in an open consultation process involving
all interested parties'' (EC, 2000).
All parties agreed on the need for a single piece of
framework legislation to resolve these problems. In
response to this, the Commission presented a proposal for
a Water Framework Directive with the following key aims
(EC, 2000):
d Expanding the scope of water protection to all waters,
surface waters and groundwater.
d Achieving `good status' for all waters by a set deadline.
d Water management based on river basins.
d `Combined approach' of emission limit values and
quality standards. d Getting the right prices of water.
d Getting citizens more closely involved.
d Streamlining legislation.
On 23 October 2000, the ``Directive 2000/60/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council establishing a
framework for the Community action in the eld of water
policy'' or in short, The EU Water Framework Directive (EU
WFD), was nally adopted. The Directive was published in
the ofcial journal of European Communities (OJ L 327) on
2 December 2000 and came into force on the same day.
The Seven Mismatches
Even though it was carefully designed to improve and
harmonize water resources management in the EU
member countries, the EU Water Framework Directive has
some clear mismatches compared with the guidelines that
are the focus of the Dublin Principles, Bonn Keys, the
statements of the Second World Water Forum and in the
WSSD Plan of Implementation, to make an effective water
policy for IWRM. In this section seven mismatches are
revealed and discussed.
Gender Awareness
Women play a pivotal role as providers and users of water
and guardians of the living environment. For millions of
women around the world, fetching and carrying water is

part of their daily work routine. Men rarely take part in the
collection of waterit is generally seen exclusively as
women's work. Lack of water is a determinant of poverty
and contributes to the feminization of poverty. Women are
responsible not only for themselves, but also for the
members of their families and the community at large. As
women are carriers of water, main users, family health
educators, motivators and agents of change, for better
and efcient water resources management the role of
women must be re e
cted in the institutional arrangement
of water resources. Women rights entitle them to an
570 M. Mizanur et al.
equitable share in the management of water for all uses
including domestic, farming and entrepreneurial and to
protection of the environment.
A gender sensitive approach is one crucial part of
managing water in a sustainable manner. IWRM calls for
women's specic needs to be addressed and to equip and
empower women to participate at all levels in water
resources programmes, including decision making and
implementation, in ways dened by them. The Dublin
Principle 3 states that women play a central role in the
provision, management and safeguarding of water. In the
Second World Water Forum the Ministerial Conference was
urged to emphasize the need for fair and balanced male
and female roles and responsibilities at all ages and in all
settings in water policies, institutions and in the design,
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
schemes. The Bonn Recommendation for Action also
stresses the promotion of gender equity in water resource
management. Men and women should be equally involved
in managing the sustainable use of water resources and
sharing of benets.
The Report of the Gender Plenary Session in the Bonn
Conference recom- mended that planners must
systematically include a gender perspective in the
development of all national and regional water resources
policies and programmes. They should re e
ct the division
of roles and labour, paid and unpaid, between men and
women in all settings related to water. Data relating to
water should be disaggregated by gender (ICFW, 2001b).
The WSSD Plan of Implementation urges the enhancement

of the role of women at all levels and in all aspects of rural

development, sustainable agriculture, and nutrition and
food security. It also gives priority to the need to develop
and implement gender sensitive policies and programmes
to eliminate social inequities.
The EU WFD does not focus on gender awareness and the
involvement of women in water management, decision
making and the implementation of water related projects.
It is not gender sensitive.
Integration between Different Sectors
All life depends on water. The same water can serve many
different purposes, in different places. It is even possible
for the same water to full different purposes at the same
time or sequentially, if proper planning takes place. As
water is essential to our health, our spiritual needs, our
comfort, our livelihood and our ecosystem, IWRM calls for
integration between different sectors. An integrated
approach to water and water management takes into
account the needs of all sectors. The key to future action
on water and sustainable development is to integrate
programmes and policies on conservation. The WSSD
focused on the necessity of managing natural resources in
a sustainable and integrated manner for achieving
sustain- able development. It urged for the
implementation of strategies at national and regional
levels to achieve integrated management of land, water,
living resources and protecting ecosystem.
EU WFD mainly focuses on water status and environment
and water needed as drinking water (EC, 2000). The
Directive does not focus on the need for an integrated
approach between different water related sectors. There is
no guideline to relate population growth, increasing
demand for water (for food, hydropower, transportation,
sheries, energy etc.), promotion of water efcient
technologies in industry, and water saving irrigation
techniques. All in all, the important role that water plays in
economic development is not properly understood in the
Directive.
Mismatches between the EU WFD and IWRM 571
Decentralization
Privatization and publicprivate participation are among
the most important issues that are the focus of different

international conferences related to freshwater

management. Bonn Keys stated, ``Decentralization is key.
The local level is where national policy meets community
needs''. The Bonn Recommendation for Action also calls
for making water attractive for private investment. In view
of the high capital demand for water infrastructure
investment, it is necessary to augment public funding by
mobilizing private funding for water utilities, wastewater
treatment, irrigation and other water- related programmes
(ICFW, 2001c).
The Bonn Recommendation for Action focuses on
publicprivate partnerships, noting that privately
managed service delivery does not imply private
ownership of water resources. It also argues for the use of
self-help potential in local communities to reduce the
nancial requirement of rural and urban projects for
poverty alleviation by supporting NGOs and others to
develop micro-nance capabilities. In the Second World
Water Forum privatization and public-private partnership
were widely propagated. The Second World Water Forum
also called for making water everybody's business to
achieve water security. The WSSD focused on
publicprivate partnership and also urged that such a
partnership must consider the needs of the poor, involve
all concerned stakeholders and transparent monitoring
and accountability criteria.
Decentralization is neglected in the EU WFD. The Directive
does not set out clear guidelines to promote
decentralization, private investment and support to
develop micro-nance capabilities.
Participation of Stakeholders
Stakeholder participation is one of the most important
issues in IWRM. Water can empower people, and
particularly in the process of water management. The
political Law of Hydraulics states, `` Water o
ws upwards
towards power'' (GWP, 2000). The Dublin Principle 2 calls
for the development and management of water through a
participatory approach, involving users, planners and
policy makers at all levels. IWRM requires decisions at the
lowest appropriate level, with full consultation and
involvement of the users in the planning and
implementation of projects. The Bonn Recommendation

for Action states that participation of all stakeholders who

use or protect water resources and their ecosystem is
required and special attention is needed to improve the
participation of those people, particularly the poor, who
are often excluded from decision making. Ministerial
declarations of the Second World Water Forum urged that
water should be governed wisely, so that the involvement
of the public and the interests of all stakeholders are
included in the management of water resources. Users
should not only have a right to access of water services
but also participate actively in water resource
management. In order to achieve efcient, equitable and
sustainable water management within the IWRM
approach, the principle of subsidiary, which drives down
action to the lowest appropriate level, will need to be
observed (SWWF, 2000). The WSSD called for facilitating
the establishment of public-private partnership and other
forms of partnership by involving all concerned
stakeholders. It also focused on the need for facilitating
access to public participation and participation, including
women, in all kinds of policy and
572 M. Mizanur et al.
decision making and implementation processes related to
water resources management.
The EU WFD sets out clear guidelines for stakeholder
participation in the production, review and updating of the
river basin management plans, but it lacks a focus on any
clear guidelines to include water users and other
interested parties in the management of water resources.
Focus on Poverty
Lack of access to adequate water for household use and
food production and lack of a clean environment are
among basic determinants of poverty. Poor water
management hurts the poor most. The Dublin Principles
aim at wise water management with a focus on poverty.
The Bonn Conference focused on water as a key to
sustainable development. The Bonn Recommendation for
Action urges that policies for all aspects of water should
be clearly linked to policies for poverty reduction and
economic growth. The WSSD urged employment of the full
range of policy instruments giving priority to the needs of
poor, to the satisfaction of basic human needs and to

eradicate poverty.
Governments should review the priority given to water,
sanitation and productive water infrastructure in national
and international programmes to tackle poverty. Plans
should be realistic and targeted to the needs of the poor
and should include targets and indicators of progress at all
levels. In the Second World Water Forum poverty
eradication through water use was one of the key issues
discussed. It urged that efforts to eradicate poverty have
to attach an altogether higher level of importance to water
and sanitation-related investment if strategies to eradicate
poverty are to be successful. It also mentioned that rights
to land and use of water are key determinates for people's
potential to break down the poverty trap. The WSSD also
highlighted the need to mobilize international and
domestic nancial resources for water and sanitation
infrastructure and service develop- ments to meet the
needs of the poor.
IWRM calls for `A blue revolution' to ensure more jobs and
more crops per drop of water (GWP, 2000). Agriculture is
the world's largest user of water. Water is the essential
requirement for all forms of food production. Almost 90%
of water resources are used for agriculture. To eradicate
poverty, water policies must focus on the agricultural
sector.
The EU WFD does not mention any clear link to policies of
poverty reduction. Poverty alleviation also goes hand in
hand with gender integration. There is no specic
guideline in the EU WFD to integrate the agricultural
sector in water policies.
Human-oriented Management
The water resources crisis is not caused by modern
technologies; it is the result of poor management.
Technology-oriented management should be balanced
with human-oriented management (Shen & Varis, 2000).
The Dublin Principles focus on a holistic approach for
effective water management, linking social and economic
development with the protection of natural ecosystems.
The EU WFD promotes technology-oriented management.
Technological innovations are important for water
resources development. However, better, efcient and
effective water resources management should not rely

only on
Mismatches between the EU WFD and IWRM 573
technology. There should be a retrospective look at the
successful water resources
management stories in history and lessons should be
learned from them.
Develop Responsibilities at Lowest Appropriate Level
For an effective IWRM it is necessary to develop
responsibilities at the lowest appropriate level. The Bonn
Recommendation for Action urges that decision making;
the implementation of projects and the operation of
services should be decentralized to the lowest level. Local
government, community-based organ- izations and private
service providers should be responsible for the
management and operation of water services (ICFW,
2001c).
The EU WFD provides an appropriate institutional role by
anchoring co- ordination at the highest apex level and
creating co-ordinating bodies at the river basin level, but it
is weak in the allocation of responsibilities for water
services to the lowest appropriate level.
Conclusions
The outcomes of three major international conferences
regarding IWRM and the Johannesburg World Summit were
compared with the EU Water Framework Directive. Some
notable mismatches were found between the principles of
IWRM and the Directive. In the International Conference on
Water and Environment (Dublin, 1992), the Second World
Water Forum (Hague, 2000), International Conference on
Freshwater (Bonn, 2001) and the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), several
EU countries played a leading role. EU countries also
follow the outcome of these conferences when they
donate aid for development in developing countries.
However, when the principles of IWRM and the EU WFD
are compared, several mismatches are found in the EU
WFD (Figure 1). They can be grouped under seven issues:
1.
Genderawarenessisomitted.Thereisnoguidelinefortheroleof
womeninthe provision, management and safeguarding of
water.
2. There is no guideline to encourage and regulate the

private sector.
3. There is no guideline to ensure co-ordination between
different sectors. The important role that water plays in
economic development is not properly
understood in the Directive.
4. The EU WFD does not set out clear guidelines for the
active participation of
local people and water users in the management of water.
5. There is no focus on poverty.
6. The EU WFD promotes technology-oriented
management for drinking water
and sanitation and ensuring good quality of water.
However, better manage- ment would call for the
integration of technology-oriented management with
human-oriented management.
7. There is no standard guideline to develop
responsibilities at the lowest appropriate level.
Consequently, the question arises whether the outcome of
different international events regarding IWRM are not
effective and efcient enough to sufciently in u
ence EU
policies for better water management or whether there is
a requirement for different principles of IWRM for
developing countries and
574 M. Mizanur et al.
Figure 1. The internationally agreed water management
principles and the EU Water Framework Directive focus on
different issues. Does the EU require othersmainly
developing and transition countriesto follow different
principles than it requires from its member countries?
developed countries? Finally, why does the EU adopt
different principles in its own water policies from those it
promotes in global forumsshould it follow the former or
the latter when aiding developing countries?
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Academy of Finland, within
the project 45809. The comments by Marko Keskinen and
Pertti Vakkilainen are greatly appreciated.
References
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Water Framework Directive. Available at
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/waterframework/overview.html

EU (2000) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European

Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000
establishing a framework for community action in the
eld of water policy, Ofcial Journal of European
Communities, (L 327), pp. 172.
GWP (2000) IWRM at a Glance: Technical Advisory
Committee (Stockholm: Global Water Partnership
Secretariat).
GWP (2003) IWRM Toolbox: A Toolbox to Support IWRM
(Stockholm: Global Water Partnership Secretariat).
Available at http://www.gwpforum.org
ICFW (2001a) Conference outcomes: the Bonn Keys. Paper
presented at the International Conference on Freshwater,
Bonn, 37 December. Available at http://www.water2001.de ICFW (2001b) Conference outcomes: report on
gender plenary session. Paper presented at
the International Conference on Freshwater, Bonn, 3-7
December. Available at http://
www.water-2001.de
ICFW (2001c) Conference outcomes: Bonn
recommendations for action. Paper presented at
the International Conference on Freshwater, Bonn, 3-7
December. Available at http://
www.water-2001.de
ICWE (1992) Dublin statement. Presented at the
International Conference on Water and
Environment, Dublin, 2931 December. Available at
http://www.unesco.org/science/
waterday2000/dublin.htm
Shen, D. & Varis, O. (2000) World water vision: balancing
thoughts after The Hague,
Ambio, 34(8), pp. 523525.
Mismatches between the EU WFD and IWRM 575
SWWF (2000) Ministerial declaration of The Hague on
water security in the 21st century. Paper presented at the
Second World Water Forum & Ministerial Conference,
Hague, 1722 March. Available at
http://www.worldwaterforum.net
WSSD (2002) Report of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development. A/Conf. 199/20. Available at
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/

WWC (2000) Final Report. Second World Water Forum &

Ministerial Conference. Vision to Action (Marseilles: World
Water Council). Available at http://worldwaterforum.net

Dublin City Council. 2010a. Environmental

report of the Dublin City development plan
2011-2017: strategic environmental
assessment (SEA). Dublin City Council,
Dublin, Ireland
http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content//Planning/
DublinCityDevelopmentPlan/Documents/Dev_PlanEnviron
mentalReport.pdf
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT IMPACT
ASSESSMENT

http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST12990
2013ADD2/en/pdf

SEPA: potential benefits at

stake
Researching the impact of SEPA on the payments
market and its stakeholders

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/payments/docs/sepa/sep
acapgemini_studyfinal_report_en.pdf
OMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER IMPACT
ASSESSMENT ... the European Union the Commission
suggested the establishment of a Article 21 of Commission
2013

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home
affairs/doc_centre/borders/docs/1_en_impact_assessment_pa
rt1_v3.pdf

'Farmers were
rubbing up against
me' - RT's Sinead

It's not every day you get the chance to get

up-close-and-personal with the presenter of
Ireland's biggest game show.
But RT's 'Winning Streak' presenter Sinead
Kennedy said she got more than she
bargained for after making her debut at the

National Ploughing Championships.

It seems some opportunistic farmers mistook
her for a lucky charm during her visit to the
event, believing she could increase their
chances of getting onto the game show.
"People were rubbing up against me. They
were going, 'I'll have a rub off you now'. Or
someone brought up a scratch card and
went, 'Rub that'. I was like, 'I've never won
anything in my life, that's a waste of time',"
she said.
The Cork presenter also got a few ungallant
remarks from members of the public, with
one gentleman commenting on her weight,
despite her being a petite size eight.
"One guy decided to tell me, 'You're far less
fat in reality'. That's exactly how he worded
it. I just burst out laughing, What do you even
do with that?" she said.
"There was a whole queue of people standing
there staring at him and he walked off,
delighted with himself.
"I think he thought he gave me a
compliment, which in a way he did, but it was
like, 'You're actually thinner in real life', but
he didn't word it like that."
'Winning Streak' returns to RT One
tomorrow.
http://www.msn.com/enie/news/national/farmerswere
rubbingupagainstmertssinead/arBBww8IY?ocid=ob
fbenie60

Judge dismisses drink driving

charge against garda who was
five times over the legal limit
Wednesday 10th June 2015
CRIME DESK
By Morgan Flanagan Creagh

A judge convicted a 35-year-old garda of

careless driving after throwing out a charge
of drink driving despite a recorded

breathalyser reading of 265mg.

The limit in Ireland is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The court heard that on the 29th of August 2013 Garda
Una Ryan of 13 Hillcrest, Kilcullen, stationed at Naas
Garda Station, was pulled over and breathalysed on
Edward Street in Newbridge, Kildare.
Two officers from Newbridge Station Garda Young and
Garda Conor Sheehan saw a car pulling out with no lights
on, the court was told.

The vehicle then drove straight through a red light and

nearly caused a collision.
The officers then turned on their siren and pulled Garda
Ryan over.
They found that she had a strong smell of alcohol and was
unsteady on her feet.
Her breathalyser result was five times over the legal limit.
Despite this the youngest judge in the state, Grainne
ONeill, accepted a defence submission that there were
technical issues with the procedures on the night.
Judge ONeill said there was an issue over the caution
although Garda Young was positive that he did caution
Garda Ryan.
Garda Ryan was convicted of careless driving and fined
300.
The Leinster Leader reports that in mitigation
Garda Ryans barrister said that his client was a 35-year-

old single woman and that because of her profession it

was a huge embarrassment for her.
She had undergone rehabilitation and was in much better
health.
He said her conviction would impact on her job and she
has been taken off certain duties and hopes she will be
restored to full duties.
He also said that Garda Ryan will be the subject of
disciplinary matters arising from this case.
The Garda Ombudsmans office (GSOC) said that no
complaint regarding Garda Ryan has been made to them.
GSOC sources confirmed that An Garda Siochana are
only obliged to refer a case to GSOC if there has been a
death or serious crime and that members of the public can
only submit a complaint if they were directly involved in an
incident or were a witness.
I wouldnt expect to get a report in on this said the
source.
http://www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/judge
dismissesdrinkdrivingchargeagainstgarda#.V
L_IfJQ2O0.facebook

RitaCahill

Quiz Completed

http://rte.polldaddy.com/s/98927BDEF8FFC9A4?
msg=done&r=3DE9D83E169F1AA05880A3CC538FB3FD

Tony OBrien, Director General, outlines his expectations for the

2016 Masterclass.
May 15, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PnMcYC9aCQ
OneVoiceforHealthProcurement
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/masterclas
s/programmespeakermaterials/johnswords.pdf

The Importance of Proper

Apologies Peter Tyndall,
Ombudsman
Sorry Doesnt Have to be the
Hardest Word...
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/masterclas
s/petertyndall.pdf

Dr Lynda Sisson, Clinical Lead

Workplace Health and
Wellbeing Unit promotes the
Flu Vaccination for HSE Staff

HSE Statement on serious

incident at Naas General
Hospital
I

The HSE can confirm that following a serious incident at Naas

General Hospital, the Emergency Department has been
temporarily closed. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has
implemented appropriate diversion protocols and patients are
being taken to alternative hospitals. The NAS has informed
both the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and An Garda
Siochana and a full investigation is underway into the incident.
The hospital has advised any member of the public seeking
access to medical care to visit their GP in the first instance and
if necessary to access another Emergency Department in an
alternative hospital. The hospital has also requested that
members of the public refrain from visiting at this time.
Last updated on: 22 / 09 / 2016

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/naasgene
ralhospital.html?
utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign
=Naas%20Incident

HSE director general Tony OBrien wants to focus on

devolving decision-making and accountability as close as
possible to the front-line.
The four new national directors are a chief operations
officer, a chief strategy and planning officer, a national
director of community health service operations, and a
national medical director. In a confidential memorandum
seen by the Irish Examiner, Mr OBrien wrote that the
adjustments he proposed to the health services
leadership team had been approved unanimously by the

HSE directorate.
These adjustments are designed to streamline
performance and management across the health service
with a particular focus on enhancing the integration of
services, he said.
Mr OBrien explained that the chief operations officer
would be responsible for the overall operational
performance management of the system, would support
the director general and deputise for him as required.
He pointed out that the roles of chief operations officer
and chief strategy and planning officer would be filled by
the Public Appointments Commission through open
completion as soon as practicable. An existing national
director will be appointed the national director of
community health service, and the operations role of the
current national directors for primary care, mental health,
social care and health and wellbeing will be subsumed into
this role.
The current posts of national director of clinical strategy
and programmes and national director for quality
improvement will be subsumed into the role of national
medical director to be filled by open competition.
Mr OBrien said clinical programmes and discreet
clinically led initiatives, such as the new Maternity and
Infant programme and the National Cancer Control
Programme would be nested with the new medical
director.
He wrote that it was now three years since the
establishment of the HSE Directorate, and while progress
on some key objectives had been slower than expected,
much had been achieved.
We have seen the development of an external consensus
on the need for a longer-term health strategy at a political
level and secured an unprecedented mid-year budget
revision this year, ending the underfunding deficit spiral of
the past, he said.
Overall, we collectively lead a health system that is more
productive than in the past, but also experiencing
unprecedented demand and unmet need.
Mr OBrien said the new structures would ensure there was
clear accountability for the management and delivery of
services. The changes would reform the centre to

establish a new way of working. This could be

characterised as a noses in, fingers out culture, as
between the commissioning and service parts of the
health service, he wrote.
Until these appointments are made it is very much
business as usual under the existing arrangements, he
said. Staff within the existing national divisions will be
consulted on the best way to manage the transition.
Mr OBrien ended by stressing that there were may great
things about the Irish health service. We are blessed with
our staff and their commitment. These changes are
intended to assist the health service to function better.

Nama inquiry plans given to Enda

Kenny
Unauthorised leaking, a wider probe into the actions of
Nama, and a suspension of its asset sales are some of the
recommendations made for an inquiry into the agency.
Friday, September 23, 2016

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to receive proposals

from parties today for an inquiry, after the Cabinet last
week agreed to hold one on Namas Project Eagle sale.
Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness
yesterday said he would appear before the public
accounts committee, which is following up on a critical
audit on the northern property loanbook deal.
The audit, conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor
General, said taxpayers may have suffered a loss from the
1.3bn sale, that the deal was restricted, and that there
may have been a conflict of interest with fixer fees.
Wexford TD Mick Wallace last night told the Irish Examiner
he wants any unauthorised leaking of information about
Nama deals probed.
Nama denies there were any problems around the sale of
Project Eagle and said it represented value money.

Enda Kenny
Mr Wallace said: The problems identified in the C&AG
report are not confined to Project Eagle. Unauthorised
leaking of information needs to be examined.
The strongest powers were needed to compel witnesses
to give evidence and for documents to be recovered, he
said, adding that the inquiry need to be broad but with a
time limit, to be done in modules, and to be judge led.
Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin also recommended that a

judge lead the probe. His submission asks what political

pressure was applied to accelerate Project Eagle.
Mr Kenny will consider the proposals and, according to
Government sources, could have a plan for an inquiry in
place by the end of next week.
Mr McGuinness said he has no problem in attending a
PAC meeting over Project Eagle.
On Wednesday, the committee agreed to ask Mr
McGuinness and former first minister Peter Robinson to
undergo public questioning about their knowledge on
Project Eagle.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships in
Screggan, Co Offaly, Mr McGuinness said he is happy to
attend. Ive no problem at all [with attending], Ive
already written to the PAC last year. Its not a difficulty for
me at all to do that. I would like to see anybody invited to
attend, he said.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin, meanwhile, has proposed a
hybrid North-South inquiry over Project Eagle.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan has agreed to attend a
crunch public grilling over the Nama Project Eagle deal
after days of mounting pressure to face questions.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/nama-inquiry-plansgiven-to-enda-kenny-422432.html?
utm_source=link&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=ne
xtandprev

Michael Noonan
After the public accounts committee said it would pencil
him in for October 6, and a Cabinet colleague publicly
said he should attend, Mr Noonan said he is now willing to
face questions on the matter.
However, in a pointed reference to Government concerns
the grilling may become party political and previous
claims that the PAC has overstretched its remit, Mr
Noonan said he wants assurances that any questioning
will adhere to existing committee rules.
This means any discussion of the merits of a Government
policy and its objectives will be strictly off limits,
potentially preventing questions over Project Eagle.
I have decided to accept the invitation of the committee
of public accounts to assist in its examination of the
Comptroller & Auditor Generals special report on Namas
sale of Project Eagle, said Mr Noonan.
I intend to reply by letter to the committee to confirm this
and to request assurances that the proceedings of the
committee will be conducted in line with its terms of
reference.
Mr Noonan had faced increasing pressure to attend the
PAC meeting. Despite Social Protection Minister Leo
Varadkar saying on Sunday there was no precedent for a
minister to be grilled by the PAC, Fianna Fil leader
Michel Martin said there was no other option.

Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath said yesterday that in

his personal view, Mr Noonan should attend due to the
scale of the issues involved. The Independent Alliance TD
is understood to have raised the matter at yesterdays
Cabinet meeting.
While a Government spokesperson last night said Mr
Noonan had brought the matter up himself during the
meeting, there was a consensus among ministers that
the Limerick TD must now face questioning.
Before Mr Noonans statement last night, PAC chair and
Fianna Fil TD Sean Fleming had said the group would
pencil him in to appear before it on October 6,
regardless of whether he agreed to attend.
Mr Fleming also said there was precedent for a sitting
minister to attend the PAC the then public expenditure
minister Brendan Howlin had attended in 2012, to discuss
workers pay.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday briefed the
Cabinet on his discussions with opposition leaders last
week concerning a State investigation into Project Eagle.
While he is awaiting feedback from the opposition, due
this week, it is understood there is no appetite within
Government to extend the investigation beyond Project
Eagle.
Separately, yesterdays Cabinet meeting is also believed
to have seen Mr McGrath question his Independent
Alliance colleague, Transport Minister Shane Ross, on his
response to the escalating Dublin Bus strike.
An extension to the Fennelly commissions work into the
recording of phone calls at Garda stations was also agreed
after Mr Kenny sought a new deadline of Christmas due to
the scale of records involved.
Ministers also signed off on an independent review of air
traffic congestion at Dublin Airport a situation which
may lead to the construction of a third terminal.
A full inquiry into all of sales made by Nama could take up
to 20 years to complete, the Taoiseach has warned.
Enda Kenny has said that he wants a forthcoming
Commission of Investigation to focus solely on the sale of
Nama's Northern Ireland loans.

Opposition TDs want the inquiry widened to look at other

activities, with some calling for Nama sales to be
suspended entirely.
However, Enda Kenny is opposing both ideas, saying that
Nama must be allowed to continue its work, including
building new homes.
"Obviously, when you consider their involvement in the
special development zones, the delivery of 20,000 houses
as part of the housing programme, the fact that they, in
accordance with their own act, that they would expect to
be concluded two years ahead of schedule, speaks for
itself," he said.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irel
and/finance-minister-michaelnoonan-faces-pac-grilling-onproject-eagle-422060.html

The head of the charities regulator says he is concerned

by the number of organisations providing services that are
not compliant with regulations.

He is warning that about 50 organisations will loose their

charitable status following his inquiries.
It comes in the wake of a number of scandals over pay at
charities - most notably Console.

CEO of the Charities Regulatory Authority is John Farrelly:

"My worry is a number of these charities actually provide
services,
"We have met with the HSE, we have met with the head of
compliance, we are putting in place an agreement to
share information and we will also be sharing this
information with the HSE,
"My worry would be if they are not compliant with the
charity law, which is basic enough, I would be worried
about their ability to be compliant with providing
services."

Dublin retailers concerned about

impact of strike action on business
Friday, September 23, 2016

Retailers are increasingly concerned about the impact of

the strike at Dublin Bus which is in its fifth day.
Representative body, Dublin Town says if more transport
unions join the strike, job losses and shop closures are
expected.
Unions representing staff at Dublin Bus say the Transport
Minister should step in, or step down.
Today is the fifth strike day, with another tomorrow - and
13 more after that.
There are also fears of an all out strike at Bus Eireann, and
workers at Iarnrod Eireann are watching developments at
CIE closely.

Good news for homeowners in

Dublin as city council vote to
reject proposed local property tax
increase
September 23, 2016 08:00 Christopher O'Brien Irish News

There is good news for over 240,000 homeowners in Dublin

this morning as the city council voted last night to reject the
proposed motion to increase Local Property Tax by 15% for the
year 2017.
The rejection of the proposed increase comes after city council
chief executive Owen Keegan proposed to increase the tax by
15% in order to generate almost 12 million extra for council
services in 2017
However, councillors overwhelmingly voted councillors voted
by 40 to eight to the current decreased rate meaning the
prices for the coming year ahead will remain the same as 2016.

http://theliberal.ie/goodnewsforhomeownersindublinas
citycouncilvotetorejectproposedlocalpropertytax
increase/

Dil now a three-ring circus, says

Brendan Howlin
Friday, September 23, 2016

Labour leader Brendan Howlin has described the current

Dil as a three-ring circus where the Government has no
power, the opposition is in government, and other parties
do not want to lead at all.

Speaking at the partys think-in at Dublins Mansion

House, Mr Howlin would not rule out re-entering
government after an election, whenever that may be.
Labour has dropped from 37 elected TDs after the 2011
election to just seven. The think-in, which continues today,
is likely to focus on rebuilding the party.
Mr Howlin encouraged people to join the party but said he
does not simply want to boost numbers.
I want people to give us their ideas, to be a campaigning

party, he said. We are much diminished in Leinster

House, we are small in number in both Dil and Seanad so
we are going to have to be a campaigning party outside of
Leinster House too.
Other topics up for discussion include the housing crisis,
employment, and new ways of looking at Irelands
economic progress.
Mr Howlin said last night that Labour is still relevant in the
current Dil despite its lack of members.
I dont know who is relevant in the current three-ring
circus that constitutes Dil ireann, he said. We have a
Government that has no power, we have an opposition
that is really in government, and we have an assembly of
others who actually dont want power.

Brendan Howlin
In all of that, I think we can be very relevant. We not only
identify problems but we table solutions to them. We will
be relevant to people, ordinary people who want a future
for themselves and their families.
Asked whether the party would consider entering a
coalition government in future, Mr Howlin said: Labour is
a party of governing. We have always stepped up to the
plate because there is no point having the best policies in
the world if they are not implemented.
He said the party would need to regroup but that, in the

right circumstances, Labour would enter government

again.
Also refusing to rule out going into government with the
Social Democrats, he said Labour had entered government
in 2011 going into a collapsing economy with
unemployment heading to half a million. It wasnt a
business as usual time.
Mr Howlin said that the party was forced to put on hold
many of its progressive policies because you cant spend
money that you dont have.
Looking to the upcoming budget, Mr Howlin told party
members that housing would be a key priority.
Being able to afford a home not just a house has
been a totemic freedom in our society since the land was
returned to us over 100 years ago, he said in his opening
speech.
It is representative of peoples ambition and sense of
wellbeing one of the key things parents want for their
children. And for the record it is a bigger problem than
social housing too.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/dailnowathree
ringcircussaysbrendanhowlin422455.html

Shane Ross 'did not

object to plans to cut Bus
Eireann workers' pay'

223/09/2016
Bus Eireann workers, inset Shane Ross

TRANSPORT Minister Shane Ross did not

object to plans to cut Bus Eireann workers'
pay and terms and conditions and
subcontract routes to make 7m savings.
Sources revealed that he had a detailed briefing with
management including Chief Executive Martin Nolan on

September 11 and raised no objections.

The minister received a far more detailed briefing than
was given to unions earlier this week.
It is understood that he has given management a mandate
for the plan to restructure the company by turning
Expressway into a subsidiary.
It has also been revealed that the company wants to
reduce the number of full time staff at Expressway from
550 to between 400 and 450. However, some of these may
be redeployed or take voluntary redundancy.
The company has never had compulsory redundancies but
has not ruled them out as it expects to lose 6m this year.

'It is very important to us that we are not seen

to be a soft touch' - Shane Ross
Sources said the number of support staff will be reduced
and there will be a smaller managementer team.
Unions are balloting for industrial action over the plan.
http://www.independent.ie/irishnews/news/shanerossdid
notobjecttoplanstocutbuseireannworkerspay
35073422.html
TRANSPORT Minister Shane Ross did not object to plans to
cut Bus Eireann workers' pay and terms and conditions
and subcontract routes to make 7m savings.
Sources revealed that he had a detailed briefing with

management including Chief Executive Martin Nolan on

September 11 and raised no objections.
The minister received a far more detailed briefing than
was given to unions earlier this week.
It is understood that he has given management a mandate
for the plan to restructure the company by turning
Expressway into a subsidiary.
It has also been revealed that the company wants to
reduce the number of full time staff at Expressway from
550 to between 400 and 450. However, some of these
may be redeployed or take voluntary redundancy.
The company has never had compulsory redundancies but
has not ruled them out as it expects to lose 6m this year.
Sources said the number of support staff will be reduced
and there will be a smaller managementer team.
Unions are balloting for industrial action over the plan.

The Transport Minister Shane Ross issued a stark warning to

his fellow TDs this afternoon saying he has no intention of
intervening in the current Dublin Bus strike.
Mr Ross who has been the subject of a number of calls from
opposition TDs told the Dil this afternoon that he is not a
sugar daddy and cannot be expected to ride in on a white

horse and shining armour with a cheque book.

Mr Ross who is well aware of the chaos of the imposed strikes
has said he does not need to get involved as the issue must be
resolved by union members and management alone.
The Transport Minister who has come in for a barrage of
criticism from fellow cabinet members also said: I know you
say I should open the cheque book, but Im not going to.
I dont want to see the management coming to me and
assuming the cheque book will be opened. The Government
position is clear, this has to be resolved between the two
parties [unions and management]. I dont understand why
they dont get around the table.
Im not going to ride in on a white horse and shining armour,
saying I have a cheque book, he said, adding later he is not a
sugar daddy for the industry

Kenny prepared 'Remain' speech for Brexit

Taoiseach Enda Kenny prepared a draft speech welcoming Britain's
decision to "remain in the EU" and congratulating the then-Prime
Minister David Cameron, new documents reveal.
INDEPENDENT.IE

23/09/2016

Taoiseach Enda Kenny prepared a draft speech welcoming

Britain's decision to "remain in the EU" and congratulating
the then-Prime Minister David Cameron, new documents
reveal.

Mr Kenny had prepared to say he was "delighted" the UK

decided to remain in the EU and described the vote as a
"positive result for us all".
In the speaking notes, which were released under the
Freedom of Information Act, the Taoiseach expressed
warm "congratulations" to British Prime Minister Cameron,
who has since resigned.
"I am very pleased the United Kingdom has decided to
remain a member state in the European Union. This was a
very hard fought contest," the Taoiseach's statement said.
"The union must now focus on the real challenges it faces
in promoting its people's prosperity and security.
"But happily, in facing these challenges, we will stand
together as a union of 28 member states, ready to
engage, to negotiate and to chart a way forward on behalf
of all of our citizens," it added.
Minister for European Affairs Dara Murphy prepared a
similar draft speech to be delivered on June 24 - the day
after the referendum paving the way for Britain to leave
the EU.
Outcome
Mr Murphy was to deliver the speech ahead of a meeting
of Europe Ministers in Luxembourg which took place the
day after the vote.
The FoI documents also reveal extensive preparation for
both outcomes of the referendum.
The strategy for a 'Leave' vote included a Whatsapp group
which was to be set up to allow key staff members
communicate with each other about ministers' media
appearances.
The schedule also showed Mr Kenny was due to contact
EU and Opposition leaders on the morning of the vote
result, after which he would call his own Cabinet ministers.
A questions and answers briefing note prepared before the
British vote said it would "be difficult to imagine a
situation" where there would be no customs border
between the North and South of Ireland if the UK leaves
the EU.
Contingency plans and actions were also prepared ahead
of the vote. Ireland is considered especially vulnerable to

the knock-on effects of Britain's decision to leave the

European Union due to their close trade ties, even though

the export-focussed Irish economy has staged a strong

recovery after completing an international bailout in 2013.
Dublin had predicted gross domestic product growth of
4.9pc this year and 3.9pc in 2017 before Britons voted in a
June 23 referendum to quit the EU - a move that
prompted Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan to flag a
likely 0.5pc cut in the forecast for next year.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe told
Reuters that Noonan had brought updated forecasts to the
cabinet this week that confirmed an identical hit for 2016.
While this does not impact Ireland's budgetary plans for
2017 and 2018, it could reduce the 9.1 billion euros (7.81
billion pounds) of so-called "fiscal space" earmarked for
tax cuts and spending increases for the following three
years, Donohoe said.
"We can't quantify what that is yet for two reasons. The
first one is, we have to be very careful looking at forecasts
for 2019, 2020, 2021 and beyond, given the uncertainty
there at the moment," Donohoe said in an interview.
"The second reason is we are trying to put in place
measures that might mitigate some of the growth shock
that we might face because of what's happening with
Brexit ... - measures to grow the productive capacity of our
country in the mid-term to act as a buffer to the inevitable
challenges our economy will face."
Donohoe and Noonan are therefore examining how their
Oct. 11 budget for 2017 can "Brexit-proof" the economy.
CHALLENGES
Spending requests from ministers seeking extra funds for
state industrial bodies or concerned about the impact of
the weakened British pound on exporters are all being
anchored around Brexit, Donohoe said.
For this reason Donohoe said he had committed 43pc of
all capital spending till 2021 to July's plan to tackle
Ireland's chronic housing shortage because larger cities
"will not have the ability to grow in line with their
potential" without it.
Donohoe said similar infrastructure deficits after years of

underspending meant that if fewer funds were available in

future years than expected, he would favour prioritising
capital spending over current spending or tax cuts.
The government increased its capital budget for the next
six years by almost 20pc in June - just before the Brexit
vote - when Donohoe said he would consider an even
higher level of investment at a review due next year,
depending on economic growth. On Thursday he said any
further increase was unlikely.
Some clarity on Britain's intentions regarding its future
relationship with the EU's single market would greatly
help that kind of planning but, regardless of the nature of
Brexit, the consequences for Ireland will be difficult,
Donohoe said.
"I approach all these (budget) discussions with the
mindset of 'we're going to have challenges'. What we are
working to quantify is the magnitude of those challenges,"
he said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will not
invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that launches
divorce proceedings before 2017. She has given no details
on Britain's negotiating position but British media have
speculated that the country could leave the EU's single
market, a scenario likely to harm its trade ties with the
bloc, including Ireland.
http://www.independent.ie//kenny-prepared-remainspeech-fo

Ireland to avoid EU
280m 'leprechaun
economics' penalty
John Downing Twitter
BIO
PUBLISHED
23/09/2016

1
Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes: says Ireland will not be landed with
280m penalty because GDP will not be basis of calculations.
Photo: Steve Humphreys

Ireland will escape being hit with an extra

280m in EU budget contributions due to
the 26pc spike in the country's wealth which
was dubbed "leprechaun economics".
The huge surge in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) caused
by multinational companies' accounting changes was
revealed in late July. What was expected to be a 7.8pc
increase in GDP for the year 2015, was suddenly shown as
a 26pc increase.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the change could
mean having to pay 380m extra to the EU coffers - but a
number of technical issues could reduce this to a final bill
of 280m.
However, Dublin Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes yesterday
said he had established that it was most unlikely that
Ireland will be whacked with an extra 280m bill. Mr
Hayes said he had been told by the EU Budget
Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria, that the
GDP will not be the basis of Ireland's budgetary
calculation.
Instead another measure, Gross National Income (GNI),
will be used. While GDP measures a country's total
economic output, GNI effectively excludes money
generated by the multinationals which is ultimately sent
abroad. Mr Hayes said that, because of the dominance of
the multinationals in Ireland, GDP is frequently much
higher than GNI.
"The speculation over the summer that we would see an
increase in our EU budget contribution by 280m next
year, due to the once-off spike in our GDP growth rate for
2015 of 26pc, is now discredited," Mr Hayes told the Irish
Independent.

The Fine Gael MEP said it would be next month before the
Commission could give Ireland the final bill.
The CSO in Dublin has to send the final GNI figure to the
EU, where it has to be validated by the EU's statistical
service, Eurostat, which is based in Luxembourg.
Ireland has received a total of 44bn in EU payments
since joining in 1973, mainly in farm, regional and social
grants.
Prosperity
But the country's increasing relative prosperity has meant
we have become net contributors to the EU budget since
2014.
All member states' contributions to the EU budget are a
mix of customs duties, a portion of VAT income, and a
proportion of GNI.
In the complex calculation, these are weighed against
other countries' data, and averaged over a number of
years.
"The final decision on our GNI figure will be
communicated in October and there will be no negotiation
after that," Mr Hayes said.
The former Fine Gael junior finance minister said the real
issue for Ireland's future EU contributions will be Britain
leaving the bloc and leaving a huge budgetary hole.
This will change the relative prosperity rating of all
member states and definitely put a bigger contribution
burden on Ireland.
Mr Hayes said Ireland should not unduly fear the
demands for more EU contributions as it would increase
the country's influence around the negotiating table.
"With more contribution comes more political clout in
devising the budget and setting the rules," he said.
When the news of the spike in GDP emerged last July, it
caused US economist Paul Krugman to tweet:
"Leprechaun economics: Ireland reports 26 per cent
growth! But it doesn't make sense. Why are these in
GDP?"

Officials said the figures appeared to have been affected by

a number of one-off factors, including activity in the
aircraft leasing sector and restructuring by multinationals
involving the movement of patents.
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/irelandtoavoid
eu280mleprechauneconomicspenalty35072370.html

Progressive' tax isn't fair

if we don't get value for
money
David Quinn Twitter
PUBLISHED
23/09/

1
Finance Minister Michael Noonan.Irish citizens pay more in tax
than their counterparts in Spain, Sweden, Britain, Switzerland, the
US and Singapore but get little in return in terms of public
services. Photo: Tom Burke

Most of the time, Ireland doesn't really 'do

debates'. There is no debate about the EU,
for example. We react to decisions made by
the EU, like the recent ruling against Apple,
but we don't seem to have any vision about
the kind of EU we want to be in because we
never have a debate about that.
There is no debate about immigration. It's assumed that it
is a good thing, full stop, end of argument. We are not
allowed to have an opinion about how much immigration
is a good thing, or about the kind of migrants we want
(high skilled, low skilled, etc)?

There is only the barest of debates about whether it is

better to cut taxes or increase public spending. The
overwhelming weight of opinion that we hear on the
airwaves favours increased public spending. It is 'virtuous'
to want increased public spending and it is 'greedy' to
want tax cuts.
To make matters worse, what debate there is about public
spending versus tax cuts takes place in an environment
loaded with assumptions that favour public spending.
The Irish Tax Institute has just issued a document on the
amount of personal tax people pay here at various levels of
income compared with other countries. The paper is called
'Perspectives on Ireland's Personal Tax System' and is
required reading for every politician in the country, and
also for every journalist with any interest in the tax and
public spending debate.
Before getting into the meat of the paper, however, we
need to tackle the meaning of the term 'progressive
taxation'. 'Progressive' is a nice sounding word. If a
country has a 'progressive' tax system that is surely a good
thing, and when it has a very 'progressive' tax system, like
Ireland's, that must be even better.
But when the word 'progressive' is used here, it doesn't
mean 'progress', it simply means that the more you earn,
the more tax you pay. In a steeply progressive system in
this sense, higher earners pay vastly more tax than lower
earners.
Ireland, it turns out, has the second most 'progressive' tax
system among all developed countries. Don't take the Irish
Tax Institute's word for it. This comes from a Department
of Finance analysis of Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) figures.
Our tax system loads the tax burden on to medium and
higher earners to a much greater extent than even
famously egalitarian countries like Denmark, Sweden or
Norway.
Here is how steeply 'progressive' our tax system is:
someone on 25,000 pays 5.6 times more tax than

someone on 18,000. Someone on 35,000 pays 11 times

more tax than someone on 18,000, and someone on
75,000 pays 44 times more tax than someone on
18,000.
The top 1pc of income earners now pay 22pc of all
personal taxes while the bottom 50pc of earners by next
year will be paying just 3.6pc of all personal taxes.
What this means is that public spending is being loaded on
to a relatively small number of people. Apart from any
issues around fairness, is this even practical?
The Tax Institute paper looks at someone on 55,000 and
the amount of tax they pay in various countries. The
Germans, Dutch and French are absolutely hammered.
But the Irish person on that wage pays more in tax than
their equivalents in Spain, Sweden, Britain, Switzerland,
the US and Singapore.
Singapore is famously low tax. A Singaporean on 55,000
pays 5,396 less in tax than an Irish person on the same
income. But guess what? Singaporean public services on
the whole are excellent. They have a good health system
and a good education system.
This brings us to the subject of value for money. We aren't
getting it. Everyone thinks we spend too little on health.
But according to EU figures, at the height of the boom, we
were spending far more on health than anyone else in the
EU as a percentage of gross national income (GNI).
Even after the cutbacks, we still spend more than anyone
aside from Denmark, which spends only fractionally more
as a percentage of GNI than us.
But according to the EU, despite all this spending, Ireland
ranks only in the middle third when it comes to life
expectancy at birth and at age 65, and in the bottom third
among EU countries when it comes to avoidable hospital
admissions and cancer survival rates.
This is very, very bad and it means we need health reforms
far more than we need more spending drawn from the
taxes of a group of people already paying too much tax.
The Irish Tax Institute in its paper asks some very

pertinent questions. Among them: is there a point at

which a country's personal tax system becomes overly
progressive; and do high tax rates above the average wage
impact on our competitiveness and create issues around
incentive to work, labour costs and ability to attract talent
and skills?
The first question is related to fairness. Is there a point at
which some people are being asked to pay too much tax,
especially given the poor quality of public services they
often get in return?
The second question is a practical one. Are high tax rates
eventually counterproductive?
These are the questions that ought to be asked every time
there is a debate about increased public spending versus
tax cuts. Finally, in the absence of a party that really
champions the taxpayer, maybe the time has come for a
taxpayers' alliance to create real pressure for a fairer tax
system.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/david
quinn/progressivetaxisntfairifwedontgetvaluefor
money35072391.html
The whole discussion of tax versus income is a left wing smokescreen.
Nobody just wakes up one morning with a 100K salary - it takes years of
education and ladder climbing to get into the "fat cat" range. There is an
expectation that you are WORTH your salary - if a multinational is
paying you 100K - they expect 100K of performance: with high salary
there is high skill and responsibility. Our "progressive" tax system is
deeply regressive - why should you have to pay relatively more tax per
unit income as your income increases (as opposed to a proportion of
income)? It stifles ambition and entrepreneurial spirit - and
significantly contributes to the national brain drain.
Why can we not hire doctors, nurses, radiographers etc. for our
hospitals - one answer - pay cuts (including the pension levy) and
extortionate tax levels. These professionals are voting with their feet and
going or staying abroad. Communism doesn't work.
Don't often agree with David Quinn, but his opening few paragraphs are
dead on.
I would add another item, reduce the number of TD's to 26. Break it
down anyway you like. Do away with all Councillors and Senators. You
would easily save 100 million. This amount would solve the homeless
crisis and make a shower of wasters homeless.

One unforseen upside to this, you would have more All Ireland tickets
for the ordinary Joe's.

Kenny claims Water charges

must stay as Fianna Fil say any
refunds would cost in the region
of 50m
September 22, 2016 09:00 Christopher O'Brien Politics

The Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has once
again pledged his support for keeping the much hated
household water charges.
Mr Kenny who is preparing for next months Budget also
launched a scathing attack on rival part Fianna Fil, accusing
Mr Martins of populism in their attempts to abolish the
charges.
The Taoiseach slammed the party by saying that if it came
about everybody could leave their taps on and the taxpayer
would have to foot the bill.
Mr Kennys public outburst comes after Fianna Fils
environment spokesman Barry Cowen recently revealed that
Fianna Fails proposal to refund those who had paid their
water bills through a tax credit would cost in the region of

50m.
However Mr Kenny claimed that such scenario is not feasible
as water would then have to be funded by the central
exchequer.
Mr Kenny said although he hasnt spoken to opposition leader
Michel Martin about the charges, he claimed that Mr Martin
knows very well what our position is.
http://theliberal.ie/kenny-claims-water-charges-must-stay-asfianna-fail-say-any-refunds-would-cost-in-the-region-of-e50m/

Irish Water should take him on ..He'd fit right in.

A pensioner has admitted posing as an employee of Irish
Water so he could burgle Dublin businesses.
George Courtier (66) stole from a restaurant, shops and a
health clinic when given "free rein" to check plumbing,
which he falsely claimed he was doing on behalf of the
water company.Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned sentencing
when Courtier admitted a series of theft charges at Dublin
District Court.
Gda Kevin Bambrick said he was called to Eurosaver on
Talbot Street last January 16.
Courtier had told staff he worked for Irish Water and was
there to check the plumbing.
Staff showed Courtier into a changing area and bathroom
and he was "let go about his business".
He left after 10 minutes, and 90 minutes later a staff
member noticed his iPhone was missing from his jacket.
Courtier was identified on CCTV.
Gardai went to the accused's then address at Harcourt
Street and found a stolen iPhone.
Wallet
Courtier went to a restaurant on Dame Street on the same
day and said he was "an employee of Irish Water and was
checking pipes and plumbing".
While there, he went to a staff area and stole 100 in cash
and 7,000 rupees, which were worth about 95.
On October 19, 2015 he went to an ice cream parlour on
Grafton Street and said he was a contractor for Irish Water.
He again asked to check pipes, and in the kitchen he

made several attempts to open a bag on a bench. He

made off with a wallet with 20 cash.
Courtier removed a purse from a drawer at a health clinic
on Abbey Street on September 1, 2015, after again posing
as an Irish Water worker.
Courtier, with an address at Lord Edward Street, also
admitted other burglaries in the city centre, including one
at the Royal College of Surgeons, St Stephen's Green, on
October 19, 2015.
He claimed to be a contract cleaner and rooted around in
lockers, but nothing was taken.
Courtier had 119 previous convictions and would pay
compensation from pension arrears he was due, said his
solicitor, Aine Flynn.

Brussels has delivered a

nuclear weapon into
heart of our economy
David Quinn Twitter

PUBLISHED
02/09/2016

1
European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who delivered the
EU's ruling on Apple's tax affairs here Photo: Eric Vidal/Reuters

If I was not Irish, I think I would applaud

the ruling against Apple by the European
Commission. In general, I'm a supporter of
lower taxes but I also believe that everyone
should pay their fair share, whatever that
may be. The same goes for companies. Apple
does not pay its fair share in my opinion.
Apple isn't alone in this, of course. Samsung, its biggest
rival in the smartphone market, also tries to pay as little
tax as possible.
According to information from Senator Rob Portman,

given when Apple boss Tim Cook appeared before a US

Senate committee in 2013, Samsung pays an effective tax
rate of around 7pc on its worldwide profits.
But since I am Irish, I worry about the effect of this
decision on the Irish economy and therefore on ordinary
Irish people. If Richard Bruton's figure is correct, the
multinationals employ 350,000 in this country. Writing in
the Irish Independent, Donal O'Donovan said IDA-backed
companies paid out 9bn in wages in 2014.
What would happen if the big multinationals vanished or
downsized their workforces significantly because the tax
advantage of being here was seriously eroded, thanks to
the ruling against Apple? The loss incurred by the Irish
economy would be much greater over the long term than
the 13bn-plus windfall we'd get if Apple paid us what the
European Commission reckons it owes us.
Despite its present buoyancy, the Irish economy faces
three big threats. One is Brexit, the second is the Apple
ruling and the third is the inherent instability of the
eurozone.
All of these three dangers are related to the EU and may in
time give rise to an Irish-style Euroscepticism. They may
also cause further damage to the standing and reputation
of our already battered political class, which we hope will
make good decisions on behalf of the rest of us. By
'political class', I mean not only our politicians, but senior
civil servants as well.
If it turns out that the really big, long-term, strategic
decisions they have made for this country over the last few
decades - joining the euro, for instance - were wrong, what
way back is there for them? How do they restore their
credibility? Does support for populist politics continue to
increase?
I classify myself as pro-EEC, not pro-EU. I am all for a free
trading bloc and a community of nations. But I am not in
favour of ever-closer political union, never mind an EU
'super-state'.
Our political class is totally pro-EU. It has never put up

any serious objection to an ever-closer political union and

it enthusiastically supported the euro. We caused our
rulers huge embarrassment when we voted against the
Nice and Lisbon treaties, both of which were put to us a
second time.
In one area and one alone have we resisted moves towards
ever-closer union and that is in the area of taxation,
especially corporate taxation. The EU is supposed to leave
tax policy to the member states and as Declan Ganley
reminded us on Twitter the other day, one of the reasons
we voted for the Lisbon treaty second time around is
because we received a further guarantee about our tax
independence.
But now the European Commission has used a regulation
banning unfair state aid to companies in order to interfere
in our tax policy.
What our political class should by now have discovered is
that all of their toadying to Brussels down all the years has
won us very few favours there.
We were brutally treated when our economy tanked and
we needed to be bailed out.
We'll be very lucky if the 'special place' of Ireland is
considered when the UK is negotiating its exit from the
EU, and now Brussels has delivered a nuclear weapon
right into the heart of our economic policy. The only real
hope for that policy now lies in a successful appeal to the
European Court of Justice.
If I was British, I would probably have voted to stay in the
EU in order to fight for the right kind of EU from within.
However, a big part of me sympathised with the Leave side
because I don't like the strong supra-national currents
coursing through the institutions of the EU. I don't like the
way in which the local is being overly diminished in favour
of the global, the particular in favour of the universal.
What is truly appalling, though, is the fact that there is
almost no debate whatsoever in this country about the EU.
Not alone is there no debate about whether or not we
should be in the EU, there isn't even a debate about the

sort of EU we should be in.

Other EU leaders are willing to voice an opinion on this
score. For example, no less a figure than Donald Tusk, the
President of the European Council, said the EU should
abandon its "utopian dreams" of ever-closer integration.
He said this in the run-up to the Brexit vote and he said it
because he is sensible enough to know that continuing
assaults on the sovereignty of the nation state, the latest
example being the Apple ruling, are feeding
Euroscepticism.
I'm not aware of any of our political leaders saying
anything like this. They are too terrified to rock the boat.
And has that strategy gained them any credit? Absolutely
not.
So it is time we had a debate about the EU, and more
precisely about the kind of EU we wish to be a part of. Do
we want the EU to be less respectful of national
sovereignty or more respectful of it?
We should be arguing strongly for the latter.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/david
quinn/brusselshasdeliveredanuclearweaponintoheart
ofoureconomy35015059.html

30K GRANTS FOR

LANDLORDS UNDER
SCHEME TO HOUSE THE
HOMELESS AND

VULNERABLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
OWNERS of vacant houses in Cork city will be given up
to 30,000 in a multi-million euro repair and lease
project to bring the properties up to standard to rent
to vulnerable people.

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney. Pic: Diane Cusack

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney revealed to the

Evening Echo that hundreds of properties around Cork
would be targeted for the new scheme, which would
be administered by the likes of Cork Simon, Focus
Ireland and other approved bodies. The scheme would
see owners of vacant and dilapidated properties given
30,000 and possibly even more if the scheme is
successful to do up their houses in exchange for
signing a medium-to-long term lease that would then
see tenants housed.
Mr Coveney said: We are willing to spend millions on
the project in Cork if needs be. It is a win-win for
everyone concerned. Most importantly people are
housed, but also those who have houses lying idle will
have them brought back into use. There are hundreds

of such properties in Cork. It is already happening in

Carlow and Waterford under the local authority, but we
want the likes of Cork Simon and Focus Ireland to run
the scheme in Cork.

TAOISEACH CRITICISES
FIANNA FILS NEW
STANCE ON WATER
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny was in his biggest rival
Michel Martins back yard today as the political
theatre between the countrys two biggest parties
reignited following months of relative harmony.

Mr Kenny was in Cork to attend the American Chamber

of Commerce Ireland Annual Cork Business Lunch at
the Maryborough Hotel.
The Taoiseach, US Ambassador, Kevin OMalley, and
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Des Cahill, were welcomed to
the event by the President of the American Chamber,
Bob Savage.
Mr Kenny and the Fianna Fil leader have renewed
hostilities this week, with Mr Kenny firing back at Mr
Martin over water charges.
He said Mr Martins bid to have water charges
scrapped was a new position that was mere
populism and signalled
his partys intention to have them retained.
He derided Mr Martins suggestion that water charges

be scrapped by saying it signalled that everyone

could leave their taps on and that taxpayers would
have to foot the bill if they were done away
with. He warned that Fine Gael would not roll over on
the issue, saying Mr Martin knows very well what our
position
is.
It is a sign that Fine Gael is fighting to restore its
credibility following months of political commentary
that suggested Mr Martin was the real power behind
the throne in Irish politics as the fledgling minority
Government struggled to hold itself together.

http://www.eveningecho.ie/corknews/taoiseachcriticises
fiannafailsnewstancewater/2533414/

BREXIT AND BUDGET ARE

TOPICS OF FIANNA FIL
THINK-IN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
THE challenges of Brexit, the housing crisis in Ireland,
education, and measures they wish to be included in
this years Budget will form the bones of a Fianna Fil
parliamentary party think-in to be held in Carlow over
the next two days.

Fianna Fil parliamentary party chairman Brendan

Smith TD said that as the party prepared for the Dil
term ahead, it was clear that two issues in particular
will dominate political thinking the ongoing housing
emergency and the unfolding impact of the Britains
decision to leave the European Union will have on
Ireland.
During discussions over today and tomorrow, Fianna
Fil TDs and senators will hear from Catherine Kenny
from Simon on the housing emergency, Colm

Eastwood (SDLP), Frank Ryan (IDA) and John McGrane

(British/Irish Chamber of Commerce) will present on
the challenges of Brexit, as well as speakers on
farming, small business and education.
Cork South Central TD and Fianna Fil spokesperson
on finance, Michael McGrath, told the Evening Echo
that the upcoming Budget would also be a major
element to the think-in.
He said: We have made it clear that we want a
change in Budgetary policy of recent years and that it
has to move away from tax breaks for the wealthy to a
fairer and more decent Budget for hard-working
families and our most vulnerable people.
He said that Brexit had major implications for Ireland
and needed to be discussed.
The Irish economy will not fall off a cliff due to Brexit
but it will impact us, no doubt about that. It will be a
slow burner but we are already seeing very serious
implications for many Irish businesses, especially our
SMEs, many of whom rely on the UK market for
exports. They have been hit badly already by the fall
in Sterling. It is very important that the Budget and
Government policy reflect that in the future.
The lack of credit available to farming families and
rural businesses is emerging as a problem across the
country, according to the partys TD and Ed Farrell
from the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) will
advise the parliamentary party about the ongoing
situation.

http://www.eveningecho.ie/corknews/brexitbudgettopics
fiannafailthink/2530377/

YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
OUR FOCUS ZAPPONE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

MEASURES to tackle youth homelessness will be

among those unveiled by the Minister for Housing later
this week.
Speaking in Cork yesterday, Minister for Children and
Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone said she has been in
constant correspondence with Housing Minister
Simon Coveney to ensure that young people are
properly catered for in the Governments ambitious
housing strategy.

Minister for Children and youth affairs with Patrick Lawlor at a visit
to Cork Boxing Centre, Churchfield on Monday.

Minister Dr Katherine Zappone with first class students Gary Dalton

and Jamie Cronin on her visit to Terence MacSwiney Community
College, Knocknaheeny, Cork,
The Minster was in Cork visiting youth projects that received 2.4m
euro in 2016.

The implementation of the long-awaited Rebuilding

Ireland strategy will be unveiled this Thursday, with Ms
Zappone set to join Mr Coveney and An Taoiseach in
revealing the details of the plan.
Ms Zappone said: In Minister Coveneys plan, he has
a number of commitments that he has agreed to
implement that are specifically related to children who
are in emergency accommodation. We are working at
looking at the timeframe for implementing those
commitments and well be announcing some of that
on Thursday.
We have been in constant correspondence with
Minister Coveneys people ever since the plan came
together.
Ms Zappone said that tackling homelessness in Ireland
is not just a matter of building new houses but that it
is also imperative to provide transitional services to
cater for those affected.
More recently, some of my work as Minister for Youth

Affairs has been with regards to homelessness and

transitional pathways. Even if we, and please God we
will, meet our targets in terms of what we have to
build, theres so many people who have had a period
of homelessness.
Its not enough to just get a physical home, it is
important for our community to get more.

Minister Dr Katherine Zappone with first class students Gary Dalton

and Jamie Cronin on her visit to Terence MacSwiney Community
College,

The Minister said that initiatives like the Foyer in

Blackpool are an important example of the type of
service needed.
Its not just a matter of pathways; the Foyer is an
environment for housing as well as a source of
education and employment, all under one roof. This is
absolutely critical in terms of handling the housing and
homelessness crisis.
Minister Zappone toured the Foyer as part of a visit to
Cork to assess a number of projects funded by her
department.
Some 2.4 million was allocated to five Cork projects
for 2016, including Knocknaheeny Youth and
Community Centre and the Boxing Centre of
Excellence in Churchfield.

Ms Zappone said: Its really important for me to be

able to see things going on, on the ground, because I
would be ultimately responsible for some of the
monies that support the work.

RELIGIOUS ORDERS URGED

TO DONATE VACANT
PRIESTS HOMES TO
COMBAT HOMELESS CRISIS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Religious orders have been urged to offer the state
vacant or disused priests homes, convents and
buildings to ease the housing and homeless crisis.
Housing, Planning and Local Government Minister
Simon Coveney issued the plea after revealing three
properties have been handed over in Cork, Kerry and
Waterford in recent months.
Eighteen congregations signed deals with the state to
meet 350m of the cost of compensating abuse
survivors.
By last year 42m worth of property was handed over
but Mr Coveney appealed for all religious orders in the
country to consider if they could donate any other
buildings or homes to put a roof over peoples heads.
If there are any religious congregations listening and
you have properties that are no longer in use or you
are looking to vacate in the coming months or years
we are interested in talking to you. Please make
contact with us directly, Mr Coveney said.

The Minister issued the plea at the Oireachtas

Committee on Housing, Planning and Local
Government where he was forced to defend plans to
build new social houses in his Action Plan for Housing
and Homelessness.
Mr Coveney said a number of religious orders have
approached him with offers.
One home for nuns in Kerry had recently been handed
over to the housing agency Cluid, a former convent in
Cork is being consider for housing for homeless
women and a former home for priests in Waterford, St
Johns Training College, has been reopened for similar
use.
We hope to replicate that kind of partnership in other
parts of the country, he said.
Ruth Coppinger, Anti-Austerity Alliance TD, said that
out of the 47,000 social houses pledged over the next
six years, 18,718 will be new builds by councils.
Other figures showed a total of 26,000 homes, both
from private developers and in public schemes, will be
built exclusively for social housing and another 10,000
homes will be on long-term leases of up to 30 years by
local authorities and housing bodies.
Mr Coveney said he accepted that having only 7 to 8%
of the houses in Ireland as social housing is not good
enough. The rate across Europe averages at 17%.

We have a lot of catching up to do, the Minister said.

Thats why this plan is effectively about increasing
the overall social housing stock by 30 or 40% over five
or six years. That is a significant ambition and we are
going to deliver it.
Mr Coveney also repeated his assertions that the
Government was considering an initiative for first-time
buyers in next months budget.
It has been suggested that attempts will be made to
easing financial pressures through a tax rebate.
Strict mortgage lending rules currently require firsttime buyers to have a 10% deposit for the first
220,000 of a house price and 20% for the balance.
Other buyers must have a 20% deposit and lending is
limited to 3.5 times incomes.
treatyratificationintheUKandthePonsonbyRule

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has conceded the

party made mistakes in office, but said the current
Government was interested in power and nothing else.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Labour Party at its think-in
yesterday, Mr Howlin said the Government was leading a
do-nothing Dil.
If [it] survives at all, these will be known as the lost
years, said Mr Howlin.
Politics is about the resolution of differences in a peaceful
and civilised manner not pretending they dont exist.
In the 1990s and again in 2011, Labour entered
government when the country was in chaos, but twice it
left office when the country had returned to economic
growth.
Had Sinn Fin or the anarchists entered government in
2011 Ireland would now have no economy to speak of. We
wouldnt have been talking about health and housing at
the election just gone.
Wed have been talking about our economic implosion,
the collapse in foreign direct investment, soaring
joblessness and unimaginable hardship. There would have
been no debate about the scale of the recovery because
things would still be getting worse.

Liberal society
For 40 years Labour has been the parliamentary vanguard
of change which has seen Ireland transformed from a
narrow intolerant society to a more pluralist and liberal
society.
There are many in Ireland who only see problems as
opportunities for political gain. They will always have a
certain advantage over those of us that seek to solve such
problems.
Labours election manifesto was principled and
progressive and would have helped to build a fair society:
But, frankly, I think many Irish people had stopped
listening to Labour.
Lets be honest enough to recognise why. By the time the
election came around, we faced an enormous challenge in
having any of our messages heard.
Ive said this before and I will continue to say it we
recognise that we made plenty of mistakes along the way;
that there is a gap between what people heard us say and
what they saw us do. Mr Howlin said this was partly
because governing during a crisis was messy and
distracting and stopped the party from being clear about
some of the things it had achieved.
But partly also because we made some particularly highprofile promises in areas such as third-level fees. And we
didnt always deliver.
We are rightly proud of the many things we did in office.
But were also honest enough to recognise that we didnt
get everything right.

No ... you're gone, mate.. the persistence of Burton to pursue the

court trial of the Jobstown protestors shows you are NOTHING AT ALL
LIKE A LABOUR PARTY YOU GRASPING ELITIST SCUM

Farrel Corcoran: Media

letting Ireland sleepwalk
into further loss of

sovereignty
TTIP and CETA trade deals with US and Canada have
huge implications yet lack coverage
about 5 hours ago

Farrel Corcoran

A protest against TTIP and CETA outside the European Union headquarters
in Brussels, on Tuesday. The protest followed mass rallies in Germany.
Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

Today, less than nine months after the joint committee

of inquiry into the banking crisis published its report
including a section on the role of the media we face a
second significant crisis, in which the role of the media
will be at least as important.
This is the situation in which the Irish and EU
governments converge on the final stages of a major
decision: whether to sign up to the the Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP) and the EUCanada Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA), each of which will have enormous
impact on citizens and their environment for
generations to come.
Nine months ago, the question was asked: was there
any sign of scepticism in the mainstream media about

the sustainability of the housing boom and the broader

shape of the economy linked to it? In shaping the
public sphere at that time, were the media playing
watchdog or cheerleader, or something else?
In the current significant crisis, the Irish and EU
governments will have to decide whether to sign up to
these far-reaching international agreements.
Negotiated far from the glare of publicity over many
years, they are now ready for final approval by heads of
government and the European parliament, but without
any debate in the Dil or Seanad. And, crucially, with
little discussion in Irish media.

Public protest

This silence is in sharp contrast with other parts of

Europe, especially Germany, where public engagement
with the implications of these international trade deals
are being examined and frequently opposed in public
protests. These demonstrations of public concern are
undergirded by civil society groups demanding that
social and environmental standards in Europe are
respected, maintained and improved. There is little
sign of similar public and political engagement in
Ireland.
R
R
R

Door closing on prospects of deal to open borders to trade

UK pushed to back of US trade queue following Brexit vote
Protests in Brussels as talks on EU-US trade deal falter

TTIP and CETA will cut tariffs and regulatory barriers

to trade between the EU and both the US and Canada.
They are driven primarily by multinational
corporations seeking access to new markets:
pharmaceuticals, car manufacturing, tobacco, energy,
agri-business, food and drink. The impetus behind the
deals is also the geo-political argument for a
counterweight in global trade to Chinas growing
economic power.

Coffee vs Gangs: the woman who claimed her

place on the land
Food safety concerns
The problem surrounding these very large ambitions is
the growing fear among consumers in Europe about
what the harmonisation of standards will mean for
food. The integrity of food in the future is a major
problem. If the trade agreements are put in place, we
will have to accept practices routinely used in US food
production but banned in the EU. These include the
use of genetically modified organisms, carcinogenic
pesticides and growth-promoting hormones in cattle
and pigs.
The EUs precautionary principle, whereby food
producers must prove that chemicals are safe before
they can be used, will be swept aside as a barrier to
trade, allowing a common regulatory regime, where
any substance can be used until it is proved unsafe.
Besides harmonisation, there is a second fear driving
public protest, one that should resonate in post-Troika
Ireland: the real fear that there will be a loss of
sovereign power to control the tensions that will
inevitably arise between the interests of citizens and
those of investors. One is concerned about the integrity
of food and the environment, while the other is anxious
about the commercial interests of multinational
companies in expanding their markets and profits.

Laws brought forward in national parliaments to

protect food, health and the environment will trigger
lawsuits against the state by multinationals when they
believe those new laws will damage their earnings.
The recent history of tobacco regulation should
demonstrate the chilling effect of Big Tobacco on
legislation designed to protect public health. Both TTIP
and CETA include the creation of special transatlantic
courts to rule on these tensions between national
governments and multinational investors. These
special courts, presided over by judges from both sides
of the Atlantic and allowing only limited media access,
will issue investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS)
that will seriously undermine the power of national
governments and courts to act in the public interest.
ISDSs have been used by multinational tobacco
companies to bully the Australian government into
dropping legislation on cigarette packaging.

No national debate

Why is there no national debate on TTIP and CETA in

Ireland, as these trade deals move close to completion
(perhaps as close as a few weeks in the case of CETA)?
Why is there so little public concern in Ireland (unlike
Germany) that these treaties are more a charter for
attacking EU regulation and pushing through radical,
investor-favouring change in how decisions are made,
than they are about boosting jobs through
international trade? Responsibility for generating
public debate must lie primarily with politicians and
journalists, both powerful voices capable of setting the
agenda for national debate.
There is anecdotal evidence that many members of the
Oireachtas are clueless about TTIP and CETA. And the
media? Researchers agree that the media may not tell
us what to think, but they certainly tell us what to think

about. They shape national opinion by setting the

agenda for public (and frequently political) debate. In
contrast to the banking crisis, where terms such as
troika, austerity and bank guarantee were
understood and argued about up and down the
country, mention of TTIP and CETA evokes
widespread bafflement. There are reasons for this, as
media researchers point out, especially the traditional
lack of journalistic interest in what appears to be
European issues, unless they are clearly seen to be
linked to national problems.
This time, with TTIP looming over us as a European
treaty, there needs to be a consistent, weekly reporting
on all aspects of these trade deals as they move towards
ratification, so that the country isnt sleep-walked
again into another crisis of sovereignty. The watchdog
role undoubtedly should be strongest for RT. Because
of its audience reach, its explicit duty of public service,
its network of foreign correspondents and its direct
subsidy by viewers and listeners to lessen the
commercial pull towards a dumbing down of
journalism, we should expect of RT and TG4 a higher
level of performance than all other media in enhancing
public understanding of what is facing us.
Farrel Corcoran is the Emeritus Professor of
Communication at DCU and former chairman of RT
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/farrel-corcoran-media-lettingireland-sleepwalk-into-further-loss-of-sovereignty-1.2801828?
utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

SCAREMONGERING of the highest degree just as the

'eviction courts' are resuming around the country. Please
disregard HOW MUCH this family owe, and try to
remember the 'boom times' and 'predatory lending' that
was occurring during the Celtic Tiger period. This is an
FAMILY who have NOTHING left but their home. If anybody
knows them, please tell them to get in touch with us, as
there is always a LEGAL way back.We also know that the

Co. Registrar who doubles up as the Sheriff has NO

AUTHORITY to take a property... (Even if they do get a
percentage of the sale!)Do not let them DIVIDE AND
CONQUER by judging others on the amount they
borrowed.This is what the banks, the legal profession and
the judiciary expect!Try not to play their game.Stay in your
homes.Fight the banks.We will help you,We are FREE.

A Co Kildare couple and their two children will be put

out of their home by bailiffs next Friday after failing to
pay a 3 million bank debt, the High Court has been
told.
Mr Justice Robert Haughton told John and Dolores
Quinn, of Woodside House, Dunnstown,
Brannockstown, Co Kildare, that he was unable to help
them.
The family live in a five-bedroom bungalow on about
three-quarters of an acre outside Kilcullen. The
property failed to sell at auction in February last.
Barrister Rudi Neuman, counsel for Bank of Ireland
Mortgage Bank that the couple owed the bank just over
3 million and that the Co Kildare Sheriff would be
executing a possession order next Friday.
The court heard that the couple borrowed 2,839,000
from the bank in November 2006 and the debt had

been secured by mortgage over their principal private

residence in Dunnstown.
Mr Justice Haughton, in sworn affidavits from the
bank, was told that the couple had defaulted on
repayments and now owed the bank 3,165,479 which
included arrears of 1.307,000. The last payment on
the mortgage had been 2,200 in June 2010.
The bank issued Circuit Court proceedings at Naas for
possession in August 2014 and, following
adjournments, the County Registrar made an order for
possession in July 2015 with a six months stay until
February 2016.
After the Quinns had failed to discharge the debt the
bank obtained an Execution Order and the Sheriff had
recently warned them he would be taking possession of
the property and evicting the Quinns next Friday.
In the High Court, Mr Quinn said that for a number of
reasons he had neglected appealing the County
Registrars order and as a result was not out of time.
He asked the judge to extend time to allow an appeal to
the High Court.
Mr Justice Haughton said the proper line of appeal
from the County Registrar was to the Circuit Court and
he did not have the jurisdiction to deal with the matter.
He refused Mr Quinns application and stated he would
not make an order for costs against him and his wife.
In the absence of new legal intervention the County
Sheriff can from midnight on Thursday next move to
evict the Quinns.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crimeandlaw/courts/high
court/cokildarefamilyfaceevictionafterfailingtopay
3mdebt1.2803023#.VU3zirBxn0.facebook

Simon Coveney is greeted by Protesters

in Cork (TV3 News)
Sep 9, 2016
Protesters greeted Minister Simon Coveney in Cork today as he
engaged in a closed meeting with council officials. The doors of
the City Hall were locked down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miBukgNrLkI

Pretending to care about children, yet IGNORING the

underlying cause of all homelessness.... THE BANKS AND
THE MORTGAGE ARREARS CRISIS. Never EVER give up
your homeA Sheriff has NO AUTHORITY Stay in your
homesFight the banksWe will help you.We are FREE.

In May 2015, Alan Kelly, Minister under the STILL CURRENT

TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY, promised 1,700 in place BY 2017
...
now Simon Coveney says 1,000 by the END of 2017 ...
Any homeless people out their holding their breath? I
wouldn't advise it

Central Bank pushed for

property tax, water charges
in 2009
Pre-budget letters reveal Patrick Honohans plans to
extend State revenue base
Thu, Sep 15, 2016,

Ciarn Hancock

Former Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan also suggested public

servants continue to be paid a premium over their private sector counterparts,
in spite of the introduction of a pension levy. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

The Central Banks role in pushing for a property tax

and water charges from as far back as 2009 was
revealed for the first time on Thursday with the
publication of pre-budget letters from the governor to
the minister for finance.

Former governor Patrick Honohan suggested the

introduction of a property tax, water charges and a
carbon tax in a pre-budget submission to the
government in late 2009 as ways of extending the
States revenue base without impacting on the labour
market.
Mr Honohan had only taken up the role a month
earlier and delivered his advice to the then minister for
finance Brian Lenihan at a time when the Irish
economy was in freefall following the global financial
crash in late 2008.
Mr Honohan said there were good conceptual and
empirical grounds for placing more reliance on
property-ownership taxes, carbon taxes and user
charges rather than on income taxes that can affect
work incentives.
R
R
R

Eoghan Murphy explains Brexit potential to Asian

business leaders
EU contribution hike for Ireland unlikely, says Brian
Hayes
Sterling falls back amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty

In relation to water charges, he said it was important to

ingrain in Irish society the user pays principle.

Pension levy

A carbon tax was introduced in 2010 but the property

tax was not levied until 2013. Water charges, which
only came into play in 2015, have not been paid by a
large number of households.
The former governor also said public servants
continued to be paid a premium over their private
sector counterparts, in spite of the introduction of a
pension levy.
The Central Bank on Thursday published pre-budget
letters from its governors to the minister for finance
from 2008 to 2015.

In a letter sent on the day of the bank guarantee,

former Central Bank governor John Hurley gave little
indication of the calamitous state of the banks, which
ended up requiring a 64 billion bailout.
The formation of the upcoming budget will be more
challenging than in previous years, given the changed
economic climate, Mr Hurley wrote on September
29th, 2008, to Mr Lenihan, the very day that the
government was forced to introduce a guarantee to
shore up the countrys banks.
In 2010, Mr Honohan called for a significant degree of
frontloading of the fiscal adjustment required to
restore the public finances to order and reassure
lenders that the programme had a high probability of
being carried out.
He told Mr Lenihan he was not yet convinced a total
adjustment of 15 billion would be sufficient to give
confidence to the markets and taxpayers and and
suggested adjustments of a couple of billion more
based on GDP calculations available to him at the time.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/centralbank
pushedforpropertytaxwaterchargesin2009
1.2792807#.V9vvL6fs8jk.facebook

Patrick Honohan suggested the introduction of a

property tax, water charges and a carbon tax in a prebudget submission to the government in late 2009

Ireland: Fianna Fail/Greens cave in to EU/IMF on

`bailout'; Left vows to fight austerity Nov. 24 2010
November 23, 2010 -- Irish Republican News -- The public finances of the 26county state [Ireland] will, for the next three years at least, be subject to
regular reviews by external monitors working on behalf of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU) and the British and Swedish
governments.
On November 21, the Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Brian Cowen and minister

for finance Brian Lenihan, after a week of shocking lies and deceit, said they
were accepting the IMF/EU bailout. It later emerged that the G7, comprising
the seven most powerful countries in the world, had met to give its approval to
the deal.
The total of the IMF and EU funds, as well as aid from the British exchequer
and elsewhere, is expected to reach about 100 billion euro. Most of the
money is destined to disappear into the Irish banks, which are coping with
unknown losses and whose potential collapse is said to be threatening the
European and even the global economy.
The program, as agreed with the international bodies, will last three years.
However, the exact amount of the financial aid and the conditions to be
applied to all of the funds still remain unknown.
It was also disclosed that, separately, Britain and Sweden are both to extend
multibillion-euro loans to Ireland, also with undisclosed conditions.
Cowen said the package would have two elements. The first would be a deep
restructuring of the Irish banks. Irish banks will become significantly smaller
than they were in the past, he said. The second part of the strong policy
program would be increased taxes and reduced spending in order to reduce
government borrowing by 15 billion euro over the next four years.
On the question of relinquishing sovereignty, Cowen claimed the budget and
four-year plan would not be changed by the external bodies but said a small,
open economy like Ireland did not have the luxury of taking decisions without
reference to the wider world.
Lenihan said the states options had narrowed considerably since the banking
and construction collapses in 2008. It is essential that we maintain economic
continuity, that everyone understands that ATM machines function, that
salaries are paid, that the big workforce that has built up here continues to be
employed, that a large number of overseas investors continue to invest in
enterprise, he said.
Reacting to the announcement , Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the
government has no mandate to do what it is doing. It has handed over
authority for the state to outsiders in order to get a digout for the banks, which
the Irish people will have to pay for. The government should resign so that
citizens can have their say in a general election.
Sinn Fein TD [member of Ireland's parliament, the Dail] Aengus O Snodaigh
said on November 21 that the government should throw the IMF out of the
country. Deputy O Snodaigh said Irish sovereignty was not something that
Fianna Fail and the Green Party [coalition government] could sell off to the
highest bidder.
They have absolutely no mandate for any of what they are doing and they
are acting against the wishes of the people.
This government has brought the country to the brink of economic collapse
and now they want to sell of our hard won sovereignty to the IMF. The history
of the IMF in other countries is one of privatisation of vital public services and
mass unemployment. But there is another way. Its time to burn the
bondholders and nationalise Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank.
The government should throw the IMF out of the country before resigning
and calling a general election. Irish sovereignty is not something that Fianna
Fail and the Green Party can sell off to the highest bidder."
Sinn Fein TD, protesters attacked

A group of 100 protesters clashed with Gardai [police] as they made their way
the gates of the Dublin parliament earlier on the afternoon of November 22,
following a protest against the governments handling of the economy.
Some members of the group, led by Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh
entered the Merrion Street gates of government buildings. A number of the
protesters, including O Snodaigh -- the TD for Dublin South Central -- were
pushed and punched by members of the police.
The group were calling for the immediate resignation of the Taoiseach Brian
Cowen, following the announcement that the government had been forced to
seek emergency bailout funding from the European Union and International
Monetary Fund.
Amid the fracas, O Snodaigh, who was attempting to calm the situation, was
among those assaulted before an impromptu sit-down protest eventually saw
tensions dissipate.
There were also scenes of anger at the Dublin parliament on November 21
night during a protest involving Dublin Sinn Fein members and local Ogra
[Sinn Fein Youth] members. A contingent of Sinn Fein and Ogra activists had
gathered with other members of the public outside government buildings
following news of the Fianna Fail/Green government's EU and IMF bailout.
Eventually, government ministers were driven to the gates when Sinn Fein
and Ogra activists staged a peaceful sit-down protest.
A number of Gardai employed brutal tactics in an effort to move the
protesters, while another Garda motioned for the state cars to continue on
their path, with one state car, believed to be that of a senior minister, running
over the leg of a young Ogra Shinn Fein activist. An ambulance quickly
arrived and the Ogra member was brought to hospital. Ogra Shinn Fein
spokesperson Daithi Byrne criticised both the government and the Gardai who
interfered with the peaceful sit-down protest.
Todays developments has created huge anger in this country. We have,
effectively, been bought and sold. The government has ran up the white flag
of surrender to the IMF/EU who are notorious for their utter contempt for the
rights of working-class people. Already, within hours, the government is
dancing to their tune, with rumours of cuts to the minimum wage and social
welfare. Surely we can't be blamed in that context for protesting?
The Gardai dealt with the peaceful protest irresponsibly. The heavy-handed
tactics employed effectively resulted in a hit and run incident which seen a
dedicated Ogra Shinn Fein activist sustain an injury. The events today, couple
with those which took place at the recent national student march, demonstrate
the widespread anger but also the low tolerance for peaceful protest.
Greens `cut and run'

Independent TDs oined with the opposition parties to pile pressure on the
crumbling Dublin government to pull the plug after the Green Party on
November 23 finally succumbed to public outrage and said it is set to pull out.
The Greens have called for an election to be called by the end of January, but
the opposition parties and the public are clamouring for Brian Cowens
renegade regime to quit as soon as possible.
With negotiations on an IMF/EU bailout continuing and a massive budget
adjustment inevitable, the discredited administration has clung to power in
recent weeks even as its last claim to a mandate disappeared.
With only the support of Minister for Health Mary Harney to count on, the
Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition has lost its working majority, with only 80
TDs in the Dail, compared to 81 TDs now forming the opposition.
Sinn Feins senator Pearse Doherty is the favourite to win the forthcoming
Donegal South West by-election, a result that would further strengthen the
opposition. Three other by-elections are pending, all certain to be lost by the
government. The High Court in Dublin has ruled that two of these should
already have been held, a ruling that the government has so far ignored.
At a press conference on November 23, Green Party leader John Gormley
defended his partys decision to stay in government with Fianna Fil until after
the budget on December 7, insisting it was in the national interest to ensure it
was passed.
We have always said that our involvement in government would only
continue as long as it was for the benefit of the Irish people. Leaving the
country without a government while these matters are unresolved would be
very damaging and would breach our duty of care, he said, adding that the
Irish people need political stability over the coming months.
But Sinn Fein Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain accused the Greens of
"cutting and running" while denying the people an immediate general election.
It is absolutely shameful that this party is denying the people an immediate
general election and helping Fianna Fail to inflict further massive damage on
the Irish economy and Irish society, said Mr O Caolain.
The Green Party has played a disgraceful role in one of the worst cabinets
that has ever governed in any country. We now have the unprecedented
situation where a coalition partner has announced it is to pull out of a
government while at the same time preparing to help frame and vote for its
budget.
Maverick independent Jackie Healy-Rae issued a statement saying he can
no longer honour his word to the Fianna Fail and the time has come to go to
the people. The TD for Kerry South said recent events have totally
undermined whatever little bit of confidence he had in the government. He
accused Brian Cowen of telling blatant lies to the Irish people regarding the
IMF and EU, and added it was very unlikely he would support the annual
budget next month but would have to wait to see what it contained. Along the
proposals expected to be included are highly controversial cuts in social
welfare and the minimum wage.
Tipperary North Independent TD Michael Lowry also withdrew his support
from the Fianna Fail-led government. He said that while his vote was no
longer guaranteed, he believed that the budget had to be passed in the
national interest. But he said that the Fine Gael and Labour parties should say
whether they are going to cooperate with the budget -- and that if they are not,

that a general election should be called immediately.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore called on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to
dissolve the Dail and said the electorate should be able to vote in a new
government as early as next month. He said the Greens had finally
recognised the government was past its sell-by date. Fianna Fail has made
a mess of the country; they have crippled the economy and and brought
national morale to an unprecedented low, said Gilmore.
After 13 years of bad government and weeks of lying to the Irish people, the
unprecedented decision taken on Sunday effectively represents the handing
over of the deeds of the country to the EU and the International Monetary
Fund (IMF). It is essential that we have a new government elected as soon as
possible.
Fianna Fail backbenchers have also urged Cowen to go. At this stage the
country has lost faith in him, and I think it needs a new opportunity, said
Kildare TD Sean Power.

Austerity plan to hit poor, students, pensioners,

services

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November 24, 2010 -- Irish Republican News -- The Dublin government today
unveiled a raft of budget measures it claimed would restore the 26-county
state's finances by 2014, but fudged key facts and figures on how it would
affect the public. Six billion of the total fifteen billion euro taxes and cuts will
be implemented next year, if the annual budget in December is passed by the
Dublin government.
Measures include cutting social welfare by 3 billion euro, reducing the public
sector pay bill by 1.2bn euro and increasing VAT by 2%. The minimum wage
is to be cut by 1 euro to 7.65 euro.
The plan will also draw more workers into the income tax net. By 2014 anyone
earning 15,300 euro will start paying tax, down from the current level of
18,300 euro.
The plan has received the approval of the International Monetary Fund and
the European Central Bank, who are continuing to negotiate th conditions of
an 85 billion euro bailout for the crashed 26-County economy.
Speaking at Government Buildings, 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen said
the current crisis was "a challenge that can be surmounted." "We are a smart,
resilient, proud people and we are going to come through this challenge",
Cowen said.
The Taoiseach responded to a call by the Green Party for a general election
to be held by January, said that he accepted that an election would be held
following the enactment of the budget legislation, due by March -- but he
refused today to give an indicative date.
Speaking alongside Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Green Party
leader John Gormley, Cowen said his focus was now on securing the stated
cuts and taxes. He the state would have to "take some steps back to go
forward again".
The budget roadmap includes:
Public sector workforce to be cut by almost 25,000 to 24,750, bringing staff
numbers back to 2005 levels; - Student fees will increase by 33%; new cuts in
student grants;
Water metering will be brought in by 2014;

Interim flat property tax to start at 100 euro, increasing by 2014;

Carbon tax charges will double to 30 euro a tonne;
Unspecified reductions of social welfare to save 2.8bn euro;
A billion euro to be raised in taxes and deductions on pensions;
10% pay cut, reduced pension scheme for new public sector entrants;
Current public workers still covered by Croke Park Agreement;
The minimum wage is cut by 1 euro to 7.65 euro;
VAT will increase 1% to 22% in 2013 and to 23% in 2014;
Corporation tax will remain at 12.5%.
The National Recovery Plan stated, published today, said:
The Plan will help dispel uncertainty and reinforce the confidence of
consumers, businesses and of the international community. The tax and
expenditure measures contained in this Plan will negatively affect the living
standards of citizens in the short term.
But postponing these measures will lead to greater burdens in the future for
those who can least bear them, and will jeopardise our prospects of returning
to sustainable growth and full employment.
The state' cost of international borrowing rose to record levels this morning on
bond markets, and remains just under 9% this afternoon.
Sinn Fein activists held a protest on Merrion Square in advance of today's
publication of the coalition's four year plan.
Speaking ahead of the publication today Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh
said, "The Government has no mandate or authority to bring forward this
year's budget, never mind a budgetary plan for four year."
The four Sinn Fein TDs yesterday tabled a motion of no confidence in the
Taoiseach.
Sinn Fein Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain called on all those in the Dail
opposed to Brian Cowen's leadership to vote no confidence in him.
"This Dail should have been dissolved by the Taoiseach last night. Brian
Cowen no longer commands a majority in the Dail. He should now put the
issue to the test and allow a vote on the motion of no confidence which has
been tabled by the four Sinn Fein deputies.
"Are we to continue with this charade which is an insult to the Irish people?
They are being denied a democratic choice because Fianna Fail and the
Greens want to put the people in the straitjacket of a savage and regressive
budget, a four-year plan and an IMF/EU loan before a general election.
"Brian Cowen and his government should go and go now."

Unions gear up to resist IMF cutbacks

By Tom Mellen
November 21, 2010 -- Morning Star -- Irish trade unionists voted on
November 20 to launch a campaign of civil disobedience if Taoiseach Brian
Cowen's "negligent" administration fails to call a general election.
Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) delegates meeting in
Galway for their biennial conference overwhelmingly passed the emergency
motion, which charges that Dublin's "savage and draconian" four-year plan to
take 6 billion (5.1 billion) out of the economy in the next budget amounts to
"negligence in the management of the economy".
The Irish cabinet met on November 21 to rubber stamp a program of spending
cuts that is expected to be published early next week and will then be followed

by a loan from the EU and the IMF.

TEEU general secretary Eamon Devoy said that the cuts, which have been
endorsed by visiting officials from the International Monetary Fund, European
Commission and European Central Bank, were "unbearable" to most people.
"When the draconian measures being proposed are heaped on top of the
14.5 billion (12.4 billion) of cuts already implemented in the last three brutal
budgets, life in Ireland will be unbearable", Devoy predicted. He warned that
the fresh cuts would lead to deflation, more job losses and "severe hardship"
for working people and their families.
And Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) general secretary David Begg told
delegates that a government guarantee to banking bond holders was "a
terrible mistake" and the trade union movement would not "acquiesce in the
ruination of our society". Begg said that the ICTU was calling for a mass
mobilisation in Dublin on November 27 to "allow ordinary working people to
voice their opposition to a policy that could destroy 90,000 more jobs in the
short term and any prospect of long term prosperity".
Union concerns were underlined by University College Cork academics David
Humphries and Steve O'Callaghan, who said that the IMF and the EU expect
Dublin to take an axe to public sector pensions. "Both the IMF and the EU
have been particularly ardent in their approach to cutting pension
entitlements," they said.

Sinn Fin: `There is a better way'

November 20, 2010 -- Socialist Unity -- Sinn Fin finance spokesperson
Arthur Morgan TD launched his partys pre-budget submission in Dublin (to
download a PDF version of the document click HERE).
The Sinn Fin policy has three key components. First, is to shift the burden of
taxation from the poor to a rich in a series of measures including higher
income and wealth taxes for higher earners and the rich. Second, reform of
the tax system in what the party calls a "financial stimulus" to redistribute
incomes towards the poor and low paid. But the largest component of the
policy is a 7.5 billion government investment package in infrastructure and
other areas such as early childcare, which is estimated to create 160,000
jobs. This would go some way to addressing the collapse in investment which
more than accounts for the entirety of the Irish recession.
Sinn Fin's plan is to cut the deficit by over 4.5 billion and invest in a 2
billion jobs stimulus in 2011 while protecting frontline public services and
those on low and middle incomes. Sinn Fin proposes a range of taxation
measures aimed at high earners, the abolition of wastages in public spending
and the transfer of 7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund for a
3.5 year state wide investment programme to stimulate the economy and
create jobs.
The document, entitled There is a better way, is fully costed and endorsed by
independent economists.
Speaking at the launch Morgan said:
Included in Sinn Fins revenue raising proposals is a new 48% tax on
incomes in excess of 100,000 raising 410 million, the standardising of all
discretionary tax reliefs at the lower rate raising 1.1 billion, an income linked
wealth tax of 1% on all assets worth more than 1 million excluding working
farmland raising 1 billion and increases in Capital Gains Tax, Capital
Acquisitions Tax and DIRT.

We are also calling for the abolition of a number of tax exemptions including
mortgage interest relief for landlords, property tax reliefs and income tax and
PRSI exemptions for share options.
We propose to cap ministerial salaries at 100,000, TDs at 75,000 and
Senators at 60,000. Similarly we call for a cap on the maximum salary in the
public service at 100,000.
All of our revenue raising proposals are aimed at those in our society who can
afford to pay more and if implemented they would raise 5.266 million.
With this Sinn Fin would put 595 million into a financial stimulus plan and
use the remaining 4.671 billion to reduce the deficit.
We would then take 7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund for a
three and a half year state wide investment programme to stimulate the
economy and create jobs, 2 billion to be spent on shovel ready projects in
2011.
We would then reduce the remainder of the deficit through increased
economic growth generated as a result of our economic stimulus plan. We are
confident that the deficit can be reduced to the stability and growth pact level
by 2016 in a progressive manner while growing the economy.

irg: IMF will entrench the economics of the

madhouse
November 20, 2010 -- Introducing the catastrophic 400 billion [340 billion]
blanket bank guarantee scheme in September 2008, Twenty-Six County
[Ireland's] finance minister Brian Lenihan was keen to offer reassurance to
those genuinely fearful of the consequences of such economic recklessness.
There is, he intoned, understandable concern that the exchequer is
potentially significantly exposed by this measure. I want to reassure the
House and the Irish people that this is not the case. The arrival this week of
International Monetary Fund representatives in Dublin amply demonstrates
the hollowness of Lenihans reassurance.
This was the same minister who, at various points throughout this crisis,
suggested that the economy had turned the corner was on the road to
recovery and who offered further reassurances that the bank bailout was the
cheapest bailout in the world. Reckless incompetence coupled with a stout
defence of the interests of Fianna Fils financial backers, the bankers and
developers, has been the hallmark of Brian Lenihans tenure as minister of
finance. It is an office that, in recent times, has seated some notable
proponents of crony capitalism: Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern and Charlie
McCreevy.
Well, it seems now that the cheapest bailout in the world has not only cost the
Twenty-Six County state over 50 billion [43 billion] and rising, but has driven
tens of thousands of workers onto dole queues, exposed its citizens to the
vagaries of international financial markets and has now resulted in the state
surrendering its sovereignty to the IMF.
Having already imposed swingeing cuts to the public sector, the Dublin
government confirmed last week that it intended cutting a further 15 billion
[13 billion] from the Twenty-Six County economy over the next four years,
with 6 billion [5.1 billion] of these cuts to be implemented in next months
budget. It is this slavish adherence to free-market ideology which has created
a deflationary spiral in the economy, resulting in massive unemployment,

currently at 13 per cent, and once again raising the spectre of emigration.
In order to save the failed banking system and bail out bankers and property
developers, the Dublin government intends driving tens of thousands of
households into penury. The McCarthy Report, published in July 2009, has
provided the template for the Dublin governments program of cuts. Rightwing economist Colm McCarthy presented Leinster House with a wreckers
charter that proposed the effective dismantling of the public sector, the
imposition of savage pay cuts on public sector workers, swingeing cuts in
social welfare payments, increases in taxes on low paid workers and the
privatisation of state assets such as the ESB and Bord Gis. It is a charter
that will be grist to the mill of the IMF, an organisation well versed in the
economics of the madhouse.
Originally established following the ending of the Second World War, the
International Monetary Fund came about as part of the Bretton Woods
agreement, its primary role at that time to provide short-term loans to states
experiencing funding shortages and to manage the gold-standard currency
valuation system. However, in recent decades the IMFs role has been to
provide long-term loans primarily to developing countries in return for the
enforcement of market discipline on vulnerable economies.
Its neoliberal mania has forced governments across the developing world to
prioritise debt servicing and the imposition of savage public spending cuts and
widespread privatisation. Its legacy has been the impoverishment of millions
and the prising open of economies to allow vulture capitalists to profiteer from
the sell-off of state assets.
IMF
The neoliberal doctrine promoted by the IMF played a notorious role in the
Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s. The IMF encouraged developing
economies in Asia to remove capital controls in the early 1990s, a decision
which resulted in billions of dollars of speculative investment flowing into the
Asian economies. However, when panic hit in the summer of 1997, the
absence of barriers to capital control witnessed the outflow of approximately
$100 billion from the economies of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand,
Malaysia and South Korea in a matter of weeks. The subsequent imposition of
so-called structural adjustment programs, which enforced public spending
cuts, resulted in spiralling unemployment and drove millions deeper into
poverty.
In more recent times, the IMF has imposed severe austerity programs in
Europe. The 7.5 billion [6.4 billion] loan offered to Latvia in 2008 was
conditional on the imposition of a significant program of cuts that included: 20
per cent public sector pay cuts, staff cuts of between 10 and 15 per cent in
government departments, the closure of schools and hospitals and an
increase in fees for third level education.
Earlier this year, Greece was forced to accept an IMF/EU loan of 110 billion
[94 billion], which again came with austerity measures attached. These
measures included an increase in the age of retirement from 63 to 67,
swingeing cuts to public spending and public sector pay, alongside the
privatisation of public services and state assets. However, the imposition of
this austerity program has driven the Greek economy into a deep recession; it
is estimated that the economy will contract by 4.2 per cent this year and by
3.0 per cent in 2011, while unemployment has soared to over 12 per cent. It is

increasingly clear that the austerity medicine is actually killing the patient.
This is the scenario facing the population in the Twenty-Six Counties.
However, it should be emphasised that the Fianna Fil/Green Party coalition
and the so-called opposition parties in Leinster House are willing partners in
the imposition of austerity measures; acquiescing in the EU demand for a
reduction in the budget deficit to three per cent of GDP by 2014.
A consensus has been reached amongst the political establishment that the
working class should shoulder the burden of a global capitalist crisis, one that
has been exacerbated in Ireland by the decision to offer a blanket guarantee
to the private banking sector. No amount of establishment hand wringing or
wailing about the loss of sovereignty should diminish their culpability in the
destruction of the economy and the impoverishment of the working class.
That said, the interference of the IMF into the affairs of the Twenty-Six County
state is a serious development and should be resisted at all costs. It is an
affront to democracy that this organisation, which has wrought misery and
devastation upon nations across the globe, should be allowed dictate the
affairs of a section of the Irish people. The IMF is an undemocratic and
unaccountable enforcer of the neoliberal doctrines of the small state, of
deregulated markets and of privatisation. It has no constructive role to play in
the affairs of the Irish people and will simply enhance the dictatorship of the
markets.
While the IMF sets about driving the working class into penury, the rich in
Ireland will be encouraged to invest their vast wealth into purchasing our
public assets. The sell-off of state companies such as ESB will be encouraged
by capitalist parasites such as Denis OBrien, Michael Smurfit and Peter
Sutherland, who will seek to make billions on the back of the privatisation of
these state assets. There is no doubt but that the economic crisis and the IMF
takeover will be used to create a further boon for the wealthy, an elite that
continues to control wealth in excess of 120 billion [103 billion].
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called a rally for November 27. It is to
be hoped that this is the beginning of a serious fight-back by the trade union
movement in Ireland, whose leadership to date has failed utterly to respond to
the establishment war being waged on the working class.
A sustained campaign of resistance is required to drive the IMF out of Ireland
and Fianna Fil out of office; to halt the planned savage program of cuts and
to appropriate the vast wealth currently in the hands of a tiny class of pilferers.
The calling of a general strike by the trade union movement is a necessary
step in commencing the fight back.

A colony one again, this time under the heel of the

European Bank and IMF
November 18, 2010 -- Socialist Democracy -- Some sense of the convulsion
gripping Ireland today is given by the editorial in the leading bourgeois journal,
the Irish Times an editorial made even stranger by the papers past support
of Irish historical revisionism and the advancement of a post-nationalist
argument that dismissed the whole idea of self-determination for Ireland and
for her people as an issue in the modern world.
(Is it this that the men of 1916). died for: a bailout from the German
chancellor Having obtained our political independence from Britain to be
the masters of our own affairs, we have now surrendered our sovereignty to

the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International
Monetary Fund. Their representatives ride into Merrion Street today.
The current crisis was provoked by the collapse of Irish capitalist strategy on
September 30 and the acceleration of the pace of collapse into chaos
following remarks by Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, at the Seoul G20
summit.
The initial strategy of the Dublin government was always insane. Ireland's
economy is a dependent one and Irish capital has only one strategy -subservience to transitional capital. In order to reassure the bond market the
government gave a cast-iron guarantee to its own decayed banks and to the
major European banks who provided the money. The solution was the
effective nationalisation of the failed banks, the creation of a bad bank,
NAMA, and massive austerity, driving down wages, jobs and services. The
mixture was seasoned with the support of the trade union leadership, who
demanded a "better fairer" way of paying the banks while remaining in social
partnership with the government. The final decoration for this concoction was
a massive dose of lies that consistently underestimated the levels of bad debt
within the Irish economy.
The whole edifice came crashing down on "Black Thursday", September 30,
when something approaching the true size of the bank bailout was revealed. A
strategy aimed at assuring the bond market that every penny would be
screwed out the working class began to work in reverse when the size of the
debt grew past the point where it became a plausible strategy. The interest on
Irish debt grew to over 9% and effectively Ireland was bankrupt.
Speaking in Seoul, where she is attending the G20 summit, German
chancellor Angela Merkel said in response to the Irish difficulties:
We cannot keep constantly explaining to our voters and our citizens why the
taxpayer should bear the cost of certain risks and not those people who have
earned a lot of money from taking those risks.
The strategy of Irish capital descended to farce. Merkel had no supporters in
the Irish government. The idea that Irish capital would not squeeze workers of
the last drop of blood was greeted with horror. Minister for Finance Brian
Lenihan welcomed supportive comments from Britain, France and Germany.
Lenihan promised to unveil a four-year program of austerity measures ahead
of the budget in December. This will involve doubling a savage cut of 3 billion
to 6 billion and a 15 billion "correction" over the four years.
The minister said: "Our EU partners have confirmed their full confidence in the
budgetary strategy being pursued by the Government. It is imperative that
next month's Budget be passed in the Dil."
The Irish government believed that by giving an absolute guarantee to bond
holders it could placate the market. Now it finds that it is the sheer
implausibility of that promise that is bringing it down. It boasted that there was
no need to borrow money anyway until 2011. It was the strategy of Micawber
-- the hope that something will turn up. From that point on control of the
economy began secretly to shift to the European Central Bank (ECB).
The growing Irish crisis has consequences for Europe. If Ireland might be
unable to meet the bill then other weak economies might also default and this
is reflected in the rising interest rates they are charged, thus twisting the spiral
of crisis further. The ability of the European powers to handle the crisis is
called into question and the euro weakens. When Merkel called into question

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the central tenet of Irish policy the pace of events accelerated. Merkel was
swiftly corrected by the major European powers who indicated that it was
simply a proposal that at some point in the future gambling in property
speculation might not always guarantee a 100% return for the major banks. In
any case it was a statement steeped in the rankest hypocrisy. Many of the
bondholders depending on their pound of flesh are in fact the German banks
whom Merkel represents. But by then the damage was done and panic turned
to rout.
The imperialist strategy in their new Irish colony is to provide sufficient funds
from the ECB to calm the fears of the market and then to embark in a huge
experiment to see how much can be sucked out of the Irish economy over
and above the astronomical proposals already in place. It is likely that many of
the proposals will be drawn from the Greek experience, even though it itself
shows signs of failure and has not seen a return of stability.
Conditions will include the reform or outright cancellation of welfare
programmes, privatisation of state assets, cuts in capital spending, an
immediate increase in the value-added tax (VAT, Irelands indirect
consumption tax) and a widening of the VAT base, increases in excise duties,
and a widening of the property tax base. Public pensions will include the
linking of the retirement age with changes in life expectancy, cuts in the
highest pensions, the changing of the base upon which public sector pensions
are paid so that they are linked to average lifetime earnings, the lowering of
the ceiling on pension payments and the restriction of access to early
retirement. Perhaps the most dramatic effect will be in the speed with which
standards of living are driven down and the speed with which assets are
stripped out of public and semi-state bodies.
Perhaps the biggest weapon that the capitalist have in their armoury is the
connivance of the trade union leadership in the general strategy of capital,
hidden behind a layer of bombast.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is to hold a major national demonstration
on November 27 in Dublin in protest at existing budget proposals. David
Begg, the ICTU secretary, said; "Congress believes there is a better, fairer
way to do this Simply put we need to extend the period of adjustment and
focus on jobs and growth.
In other words we should take longer and spend more on undefined
investments a crazy scenario when the effect of a longer borrowing time
would be to add billions more in interest charges and when an investment
strategy demands that we borrow even more at a time when the crisis
amounts to an inability to borrow any money at current interest rates applied
to Ireland this in a context where the ECB will be setting the targets and the
Dail will be totally irrelevant!
There has been a protracted tussle between Europe and the Irish government
when they wriggled to avoid the loan. The reason for the dispute is simple.
The offer that Ireland can't refuse is meant to protect the euro, not Ireland. It
will increase Ireland's debt and freeze it for years in special measures even
more extreme than the unprecedented cuts proposed already.
So there are enormous political risks for the Irish capitalists:
There is the enormous loss of face and political authority involved in the return
of the country to the status of a colony.
There is the loss of the power of nationalism -- a big element in defusing

resistance is claims that "we are all in this together" and that "we must stand
together to save the country".
The nationalist ideology underpins the social partnership with the trade union
leaderships. Will they be able put forward a program of collaboration with the
IMF?
Above all the Irish capitalists fear a call from Europe for a fairer tax regime.
They are convinced that the past success of the Celtic Tiger can be explained
by a policy of setting a 12.5% rate of corporation tax. If they are forced to levy
at the European average they fear that the basic assumption of their strategy
that austerity now will be rewarded by a return of the good times will
unravel and they will be swept away in the ensuing explosion.
The genie will not be put back in the bottle. Angela Merkel, the leading
representative of European imperialism, can (at least for a few hours) wag her
finger at the bondholders. The dependent representatives of the Irish
neocolony cannot. The trade union bureaucracy, joined at the waist to Irish
capital by decades of social partnership, cannot. Yet Irish capital is doomed if
it does and doomed if it doesnt. The bill is too big to pay. Even if Ireland
receives a European bailout the question remains. How is it to pay the
bailout?
Interventions by the European Central Bank and the IMF presume some
failure by native capital and the ability of outside agencies to impose harsher
austerity. This is not the case here. Irish capital has done everything it can to
wring salvation from the hides of the workers. The austerity can be made
harsher, but that is likely to lead to complete collapse. ECB and IMF
intervention merely increases the pressure on the weaker European
economies, calls into question the stability of the euro and of the European
project itself. Given the absolute failure of the Seoul conference to achieve
agreement and head off global currency wars, there is no government in
Europe that can feel safe.
Irish workers can cut the Gordian knot. Dont pay! Repudiate the debt! Its not
our debt! Were not all in this together. Close the dud banks seize the
assets of the speculators set up a workers' bank to manage the real
economy. What have we to lose?
We will find ourselves at war with the bond market, but they have already
declared war on us. The proposal of an independent capitalist Ireland put
forward by the majority of the 1916 rebels ran its course on November 18,
2010. We need a new declaration of independence the declaration of
freedom from capital. Irish workers, struggling for freedom, can link up with
the vast mass of European workers and oppressed who find themselves
standing a short distance behind on the road we are on and struggle for a free
Ireland in a United Socialist States of Europe, a beacon of hope to the entire
world.
We lack one thing self-organisation the organisation of the working class
in its own interests. That means a hard struggle against the crooks and
shysters to claim to lead us. That struggle cannot be avoided.
Shut down the Anglo Irish Bank
The bailout of Anglo Irish Bank is set to cost the taxpayer between 29.3
billion and 34.3 billion according to the government and up to 40 billion
according to some economists. The bank should be closed down immediately
and the losses should be taken by bondholders, private banks who lent to

Anglo and wealthy depositors. The same applies to the Irish Nationwide
Building Society.
Nationalise the banks under the democratic control of the working
people
AIB, Bank of Ireland and other banks should be nationalised. The banks
should be amalgamated into one state bank with jobs guaranteed and
employment provided for Anglo and INBS staff. The boards should be sacked.
A new board under the democratic control of working people should be
established including elected representatives from the workplace and
representatives elected from society as a whole.
End the bank bailouts which could end up costing as much as 90 billion -redirect this investment to job creation and protecting social services.
Bondholders and private lenders from the banking world should be given no
guarantee of repayment. The bank should gear its resources and future profits
towards reducing mortgages (all mortgages should be brought in line with
current house valuations), defending jobs and providing cheap credit to small
business and individuals.
For an emergency program of socially useful public works
Under capitalism schools are unbuilt, communities are left without centres,
health, sport and youth facilities and masses of homes are uninsulated at the
same time as huge numbers of construction workers languish on the dole.
End this contradiction by launching a socially useful program of public works
to employ construction workers at trade union rates of pay.
For a 35-hour work week without loss of pay
It makes no sense to have people working 39 hours a week plus overtime at
the same time that 450,000 people are on the dole. Cut the working week to
35 hours without loss in pay and share out the work among the unemployed.
This would create 165,000 jobs. It costs an average of 20,000 per annum in
dole payments and lost income tax revenue to keep a person unemployed for
a year. Measures which take a quarter of a million people off the dole could
save the taxpayer up to 5 billion and this money should be used to finance
the emergency programme of socially useful public works.
For a progressive tax system
33,000 Irish millionaires own 133 billion wealth. The taxation system should
be changed, not by bringing the lowest paid into the tax net, but by forcing this
elite to pay their fair share. A hefty wealth tax should be introduced; tax
loopholes for the rich abolished and corporation tax significantly increased. No
to property tax on the family home and to water charges.
Abolish sky-high pay rates for elite
The Taoiseach [prime minister of Ireland] is paid 228,000 per annum. A
government minister is paid 191,000 per annum. A Supreme Court judge is
paid 257,872 per annum. These sky-high wages and others should be
abolished along with perks such as the ministerial car fleet. This should be
done, not to "set an example" to encourage ordinary people to accept
austerity, but to strike a blow at a viciously unequal capitalist society.
Reverse the cuts
Not only are massive cutbacks an assault on the "social wage", striking
hardest at working people and the poor, they are also severely deflationary
with the potential to cripple the economy as pointed out recently by the ESRI.
Every 1 billion in cuts is estimated to shave 500 million off economic growth

for the following year. Use the new tax revenues accruing from the
introduction of a progressive tax system to stop the flow of cutbacks and
reverse all the cuts of recent years.
No to privatisation
The author of the An Bord Snip Nua report, right-wing economist Colm
McCarthy, has been put in charge of a review of state assets and this is, no
doubt, a prelude to proposals for privatisation on a massive scale. It makes no
sense whatsoever to privatise when the private sector is responsible for the
crisis in the first place. We need more nurses, teachers, doctors and social
workers. Public sector employment should be increased not cut!
End the rule of the market
Capitalism has failed spectacularly -- 450,000 on the dole, a banking disaster
and 15 billion in cuts on the way. If capitalism cannot afford to provide jobs,
decent living standards, decent social services and a future then the working
class cannot afford capitalism. This system needs to be ended. Nationalise
the banks, the building industry and all the major companies which dominate
the economy under the democratic control of working people and use their
profits to meet the needs of the people.
For a socialist plan of production, in Ireland and internationally
Gear the economy towards meeting the needs of ordinary people not the
superprofits of the capitalist elite. Match unused resources with social need -e.g. finishing "ghost estates" to tackle massive social housing waiting lists.
Instead of bailing out banks use state funding and state industry to end
unemployment.
End the rule of capitalism internationally and the power of unelected financial
"markets" to bully millions of people, and entire countries. For a socialist
Europe instead of a capitalist European Union. Instead of the anarchy of the
market with its catastrophic rollercoaster of boom and slump, plan the world
economy rationally to end poverty, starvation, mass unemployment and
vicious social inequality.
Sinn Fin President Gerry Adams has announced his decision to put his name
forward for the Sinn Fin nomination for the Louth constituency at the next
General Election. The move followed the announcement earlier this month by
sitting Sinn Fin TD Arhur Morgan that he would not be seeking reelection in
the next General Election.
Mr Adams said: ireland is at a crossroads. This state is in the midst of a deep
economic and social crisis. This Government is probably the most unpopular
in the history of the state. it is now implementing bad, deeply damaging
policies. it has no mandate whatsoever for this.
People need to make a stand against what is happening. We need a better
way forward for our country and its people. All this imposes a huge
responsibility on those of us in positions of political leadership. in the past i
have asked people to step forward and to show leadership.
I have asked people to make a stand. i believe that it is my duty at this critical
time to step forward and do what i have asked of others.
As leader of Sinn Fin, i want to be part of the necessary fightback against
bad economic policies in both parts of this island and for a fair, decent and
united society for all the people of ireland. As a representative of west Belfast i
should be able to do this in the Dil, but the irish government refuses to allow
this, despite a commitment during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations

and subsequently, by the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that he would introduce
measures to allow speaking rights for MPs from the north.
So, as leader of the only all-ireland party with an all-island mandate i have a
choice to make whether to stay in west Belfast, a place that i love, or to seek
a mandate in another constituency in the south.
I will be stepping down as an MLA for west Belfast. My replacement will be
chosen this week. i am proud and honoured to have represented the people
of west Belfast in the Assembly. i will remain as MP until the next Leinster
House election. Ireland needs a political realignment
Mr Adams continued: This is a significant initiative by the Sinn Fein
leadership. it is a measure of our determination to provide a real alternative to
the consensus for cuts being pushed by the other parties.
ireland needs political change. We need change in the Dil. We need more
voices that will stand up against the consensus for cuts more voices that will
stand up for ordinary people. We need new politics. We need a political
realignment.
A change of government without a change in policies will be worthless. A Fine
Gael led government, propped up by the Labour Party, is not a real
alternative.
Fine Gael and Labour offer nothing that is substantially different from the
current government. They are part of the consensus for cuts.
Sinn Fin is the only effective opposition in the Dil. We forced this
government to hold the Donegal South West by-election. We have shifted the
debate on the economy by rejecting the consensus for cuts, and producing a
costed, viable economic programme that can protect the vulnerable and low
and middle income earners, while stimulating the economy and creating jobs.
We have a republic only in name.
Sinn Fin is a republican party. We believe that a republic must first and
foremost be about the welfare of the community. This includes access to a
decent public health service and the protection of vulnerable people such as
the old, the sick and those with disabilities.
A real alternative
The Sinn Fin President said: Look at the progress that has been made in
the north. The peace process has shown what is possible. The north has been
transformed for the better. Sinn Fin has led that transformation. We have
demonstrated what is possible when people work together in the common
good and for the benefit of all.
Whether it is charting a way out of conflict or striving to rebuild the economy,
Sinn Fin is about improving the quality of people's lives. This must be the
guide for the reconstruction of ireland in the years ahead.
The people of ireland face enormous challenges at this time. But we are no
mean people and i am confident that with clear headed leadership and sound
economic policies we can rebuild the economy and return prosperity.
As the leader of Sinn Fin, in this time of crisis in our country, i am making a
stand with this initiative a stand for a better, fairer, united ireland. i believe
that things cand be turned around. There is a better way."
Sinn Fein Senator Pearse Doherty has been elected to the Dail for Donegal
South West, without reaching the quota after securing a massive 40% of the
first preference vote and the lion's share of the second preference transfers in
November 25's by-election.

The returning officer announced the result shortly after 6.40pm, following a
fourth count. Speaking following his election, Mr Doherty called for an
immediate general election.
"Today's result is a vote for change. It is an endorsement of Sinn Fein's
argument that there is a better way," he said.
Mr Doherty said it was a vote for "a fair economic policy based on tax reform,
ending waste and stimulating the economy to create jobs".
"It's a rejection of the government's four year plan, of cuts to public services,
social welfare and the minimum wage. It is a rejection of the 'consensus for
cuts' amongst all the establishment parties - Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and
Labour.
"It is also a rejection of the interference of the IMF in Irish affairs."
Mr Doherty said he would vote against the coalition government's "damaging
Budget" on December 7th.
Following the elimination of independent Thomas Pringle, Mr Doherty finished
with 16,897 votes, with Fianna Fail's Brian O Domhnaill on 8,069 votes, Barry
O Neill of Fine Gael on 8,182.
The first count put Mr Doherty on 13,719 first preference votes; Labour's
Frank McBrearty polled 3,366; Senator Brian O Domhnaill of Fianna Fail
polled 7,344; Barry O'Neill of Fine Gael polled 6,424 and Independent
candidate Thomas Pringle polled 3,438 votes.
Counting took place in the Finn Valley Athletics Club in Stranorlar. The total
valid poll was 34,424 and the quota was 17,213.
The result, although expected since early morning, was greeted with jubilation
in Donegal and across Ireland. It sent shock waves, not only through Irish
society, but across the European and global capitalist system. It also served
as a warning to Ireland's corrupt elite and international money managers not
to present the people with the bill for the havoc they have wreaked on the Irish
and global economy.
Sinn Fein Gerry Adams said Mr Doherty's victory was an overwhelming
endorsement of Sinn Fein's rejection of the Government's four year plan and
of its proposed austerity budget.
"It is a vote for genuine republican values," he said. "The Donegal South West
by-election is the real opinion poll of the public mood. We asked the electorate
here to stand up for Donegal and for Ireland. They have done so.
"The government should postpone the budget and call an immediate general
election.
"I want to congratulate Pearse and our team here on his remarkable victory.
He has overturned a significant Fianna Fail majority.
"Pearse will join the Sinn Fein team in Leinster House in acting as the only
effective opposition party determined to oppose the IMF imposed budget."

National Federation of
Pensioners Associations

.entry-header
The National Federation of Pensioners Associations was
founded in 1976 and currently has twenty Pensioners

Associations affiliated to it, who represent in the region of

29,000 pensioners. The Federation represents Pensioners
from the Public Service, Semi-State Bodies and from
Private industry. The Federation is unique in that all of its
Members are in receipt of occupational pensions.
The Federation is a very focused body made up of likeminded Affiliates with much in common. It is an
independent voluntary body with a National Executive
Committee comprised of Pensioners, all of whom,
including its officers, serve in a honorary capacity. The
Federation is funded by subscriptions from its Affiliated
Associations and a small grant from the Department of
Health and Children.
The Policy decisions of the Federation arise from proposals
which are voted on and accepted at our Annual Delegate
Conference The Federation stresses the need for
pensioners to be formally involved in all decisions that
affect them. To this end the Federation insists that they
should be involved in any consultation process involving
pensioners.
The Federation makes a pre-Budget submission each year
and emphasises the needs of older people in the matters
of Health, Finance/Tax, Social Welfare and other areas that
may arise. The Federation stresses the need for equal
treatment for older people in matters of Health, Travel,
House and Car Insurance among other areas and seeks to
have the Equality Authority Report on Implementing
Equality for Older People implemented

http://nfpa.ie

2016 pension levy

reductions
September 21, 2016
.entry-meta
.entry-header

The union has received a number of queries from members

regarding the reduction in the so-called pension levy under the
Lansdowne Road Agreement.
A degree of confusion may have arisen because the Lansdowne
Road deal originally envisaged two changes in the pension levy
threshold this year one in January (raising the threshold from
15,000 a year to 24,750) and a second in September (raising
the threshold from 24,750 to 28,750).
Raising the pension levy threshold reduces the amount of money
deducted from pay.
The originally-planned September reduction is not happening
because the full value of the 2016 pension levy reductions, set
out in the Lansdowne Road agreement, was implemented in
January 2016.
This was after it emerged that payroll systems could not make
the September 2016 change for technical reasons. Instead, it was
agreed that the January 2016 change would be larger, raising the
threshold from 15,000 to 26,083, and the September change
would be abandoned. This had the effect of giving the cash
benefit to public servants slightly faster.
The pension levy threshold will be increased again, to 28,750,
on 1st January 2017.
As well as pension levy reductions the Lansdowne Road deal also
saw pay increases of 2.5% on earnings up to 24,000 and 1% for
earnings between 24,000 and 31,000. All public servants
earning up to 65,000 will also get increases worth 1,000 in
September 2017.
Most of the 13% of public servants who were subject to additional
though temporary pay cuts under the 2013 Haddington Road
agreement will see those reductions restored in two equal phases
in April 2017 and January 2018.

Save our libraries protest

Sep 18, 2016
In September 2016, the Sligo county Council closed the Sligo
libraries. The Sligo Branch of IMPACT Trade Union organised a
protest to fight to keep the libraries open. This video shows
this protest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=J7bPUVX72CI&feature=youtu.be

Previous Irish crises have proved to be path

shaping. The paper argues many features of Irish
policy responses to crisis including low taxation,
user charges, privatisation, deregulation and more
conditional welfare are consistent and at times
intensify the liberal deregulated low tax model that
characterised the pre-crisis Celtic Tiger model. It
makes the case that the differential impacts on
Irish citizens were significant enough in scale and
impact to occasion a critical juncture and
significant shifts in political cleavage or a double
movement and asks why there has been no path
shaping critical juncture. This article explores why
Irish path dependence is so strong in this crisis and
utilises Hay's (2004) analytical framework and a
mixed method approach to explain the gradient
and orientation of change as an outcome of the
relationship between institutions, interests and
ideas. It concludes an elite political coalition
reshaped institutions and sustained a strong
narrative to maintain path dependency.

Ireland next stop destination fucked. Shocking

this must be bringing on Irish families with kids just back
in schools and college. No support from the government
other than 'deafening silence'. Think of the bigger picture.
Society and the impact for years to come.
Stay in your homes. Fight the banks. We will help you. We
are Free.
2014 and NOTHING has changed except it has got WORSE.
No CHILD should lose their home in a modern wealthy
western economy.
Never EVER give up your home.It is all a SHAM and a
SCAM.A Sheriff has NO AUTHORITY to take a property.Stay
in your homes.Fight the banks.We will help you.We are
FREE.

Girl's heartbreaking letter to President Higgins

shows reality of homelessness crisis
Thursday, September 11, 2014
'I live in a bedroom with my mom, two brothers and two sisters;
thats six of us in a bedroom, you cant be a family not like this.

So Mr President I am asking for your help to help my

family. Christmas is coming and I would like for us to be in
a home call friends over little thinks like that mean alot
when your a child.
Its easy to look past the spelling when reading the
poignant words of a schoolgirl writing directly to President
Michael D Higgins, in a letter released by Focus Ireland
yesterday.
According to staff at the homelessness charity, many
other families around the country are facing a similarly
dire housing situation, battling to keep a roof over their
heads, crammed into inadequate accommodation.
The little girl and her family met with President Higgins on
Monday at a special event hosted at ras an Uachtarin.
The heartbreaking appeal from the girl to the President,
written in simple but compelling language, highlights the

stark reality faced by many families as they struggle to

compete with soaring rental costs and a shortage of social
housing.
Yesterday Focus Irelands manager for Cork and Limerick,
Ger Spillane, said that while families living in hotels and
B&Bs has been a feature in Dublin for some time, it is now
occurring in Cork for the first time.
There would be anything between 15 and 20 families in
emergency accommodation in Cork City, he said, adding
that two or three of those could be in hotels.
He said there was often a fear among families that they
might be broken up because of the nature of emergency
accommodation with some places unable to take male
children older than 13.
He said anecdotally, there was now a suggestion that
some women are holding back from leaving a situation of
domestic violence because some of the children may not
be able to be accommodated in some of the emergency
centres.
In July the Focus Ireland Cork office dealt with 110 people,
up from 40 people a month early last year.
Mr Spillane said there were real fears that the changing
economic situation may mean more families are pushed
into homelessness, despite signs of recovery.
He said one example was apartments being taken into
receivership from landlords resulting in tenants being
expelled. He also said there were concerns that some
families with rent arrears might see their homes being
targeted by banks in future when they move from
negative to positive equity as the properties will be
more appealing to banks
As for the family of the little girl, Focus Ireland said they
are a really lovely family and it was terrible to see the
pressure they are under all living in the B&B.

The family understand its not up to the President to fix

the situation, a spokesman said. It was just a child
writing a letter to the President as he was coming to visit.
The mother knows the situation needs to be resolved by
the Government and the relevant local authorities.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/girlsheartbreaking
lettertopresidenthigginsshowsrealityofhomelessness
crisis285828.html

James Reilly is selling his

cars - 10 Jags, three
Daimlers and a clapped out
Pajero
Deputy Fine Gael leader will include large collection of
cars in sale of contents of Offaly mansion
Tue, Sep 13, 2016, 06:00

Michael Parsons

A 1960s Jaguar Mark 2 model - apparently adapted for use by a fire service and known as a Fire Chief Jaguar, with a top estimate of 15,000.

The deputy leader of Fine Gael, Senator James Reilly,

is to sell his collection of vintage and classic cars along
with the contents of his country home, Loughton
House, the 13-bedroom Anglo-Irish mansion on 82
acres outside the village of Moneygall, Co Offaly.
Dr Reillys collection includes 10 Jaguars and three
Daimlers, although the values are comparatively
modest in most cases.
Sheppards auctioneers said the cars would go under
the hammer in an auction later this month.

British admiralty

The top lot is a 1939 Daimler that was registered to

the British admiralty and which, according to

catalogue notes, was reputedly used by Winston

Churchill. The ox-blood coloured car has a top
estimate of 18,000.
Churchill was first lord of the admiralty in 1939 at the
beginning of the second World War before taking over
as British prime minster the following year.
R
R
R

Dr James Reilly on why he is selling his 'big house' in

the country
James Reillys reappointment comes as a surprise to
many
James Reilly in line to be appointed FG leader in
Seanad

Other highlights include a 1960s Jaguar Mark 2 model,

apparently adapted for use by a fire service and known
as a fire chief Jaguar, with a top estimate of 15,000,
and a Jaguar mark 10, 3.2 litres, with a top estimate of
3,000.
The auction includes two Jaguars described as being in
scrap condition. They may appeal to collectors
looking for spare parts or willing to undertake a major
restoration.
A 1991 Mitsubishi Pajero, with a top estimate of only
300, carries branding for Dr Reilly and the Fine Gael
website. It was used during election campaigns.
Dr Reilly was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Dublin
North in 2007. He was re-elected in 2011 and
appointed minister for health. Later, following a midterm reshuffle, he was minister for children in the Fine
Gael-Labour coalition government.
He lost his Dil seat in the general election earlier this
year but was nominated to the Seanad by Taoiseach
Enda Kenny.
NOTES: 1. All tokens are represented by '$' sign in the template. 2. You can
write your code only wherever mentioned. 3. All occurrences of existing tokens
will be replaced by their appropriate values. 4. Blank lines will be removed

automatically. 5. Remove unnecessary comments before creating your

template.

House and land

Dr Reilly and his wife Dorothy bought Loughton House

in 2001 but also kept a home in Dublin.
Separately from selling the contents of the house
through Sheppards, they are selling the house and
land by private treaty through estate agents Ganly
Walters, with an asking price of 2.75 million.
Sheppards said the collection of cars and the other lots
will go on public view at Loughton House, close to the
Barack Obama Plaza on the M8 Dublin-Limerick
motorway, from Saturday, September 24th.
The auction begins on Tuesday, September 27th, and
the cars will go under the hammer on Friday,
September 30th.
http://www.irishtimes.com/lifeandstyle/people/jamesreilly
issellinghiscars10jagsthreedaimlersandaclappedout
pajero1.2788788#.V9quJQ6qEq.facebook

Stephen Kinsella: Forget Apple with

investment funds, you aint seen nothing

yet

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

Mick Wallace, love him or hate him has been one of the
most effective politicians in the Dail, some say he is just
politicking, others call him a hypocrite, this may be the
case however he has effectively changed Ireland for the
better and is great at putting a negative spot light on the
government and putting the gov under pressure. It's a pity
the left in the dail is in tatters and can't effectively take on
the gov, there are some great players in that dail, would
be great if they acted as a team

Gabriel Fagan chief economist of the Irish Central Bank Pic:

RollingNews.ie

The Central Bank is probing 300bn in assets owned by

foreign investment funds some of which, through a
loophole, pay no tax at all
Gabriel Fagan looks like the quintessential central bank economist.
Grey-haired, serious, sober and well-informed. Hes the kind of guy
you trust. Youd leave your money with him.
Fagan, the chief economist of the Irish Central Bank, appeared
before the Oireachtas committee on budget oversight last week,
and left parliamentarians jaws on tables when he mentioned a
figure of 300 billion the Central Bank wasnt quite sure about.
AKA 47 is losing it apparently! He cannot remember voting
against it!!!!
All a SCAM!!
Never EVER give up your home.
A sheriff has NO AUTHORITY.Stay in your homes.

Labour's Alan Kelly finds it incredible that Project Eagle

can't be investigated, almost as incredible as him voting
against inquiry into NAMA/ Project Eagle two months ago..
Remember NAMA is a super SPV, therefore it was always intended to
be a tax rip off of the citizens. Remember even more pertinently
that when the Section 110 were extended, following lobbying in
2011, to embrace companies generating profits in Ireland, the
Labour Party extended that legislation to embrace vultures trading
here as the junior partner in government! The Labour Party is up to
its neck in this. Howlin was on EMC.
Mick, peddle cautiously re tor. Methinks Enda and Michael are too
willing for an enquiry now. They're covering up something bigger.
Table a motion to cease all Nama activity forthwith. Otherwise they'll
have outsmarted you and by the time enquiry is concluded NAMA
will be wound down. This is HUGE!
Step 1, table motion That Nama ceases to trade. Step 2: Get more
info before Tor. Step 3: Set out timeframe for conclusion. I think step
one will tell a lot. NAMA was a tax scam from the get go!!
Deliberate. The 110s tax breaks were extended in 2011 with the
blessing of Labour. A fucking disgrace from them....!! Kelly had son
neck

It was Namas escape route out of the North, but it may

have come at a very heavy price both financially and
politically
It was Namas biggest ever deal when it went through: 5.7 billion
worth of loans sold for 1.6 billion a price 200 million less than
the toxic loan agency paid the banks, as The Sunday Business Post
reported in 2014. For Nama, it was a ticket out of the North, but at
what price?
Here are some facts about Namas sale of Project Eagle.

http://www.businesspost.ie/stephenkinsellaforgetapple
withinvestmentfundsyouaintseennothingyet/

Kenny claims Water charges

must stay as Fianna Fil say any
refunds would cost in the region
of 50m
September 22, 2016 09:00 Christopher O'Brien Politics

The Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has once
again pledged his support for keeping the much hated
household water charges.
Mr Kenny who is preparing for next months Budget also
launched a scathing attack on rival part Fianna Fil, accusing
Mr Martins of populism in their attempts to abolish the
charges.
The Taoiseach slammed the party by saying that if it came
about everybody could leave their taps on and the taxpayer
would have to foot the bill.
Mr Kennys public outburst comes after Fianna Fils
environment spokesman Barry Cowen recently revealed that
Fianna Fails proposal to refund those who had paid their
water bills through a tax credit would cost in the region of
50m.
However Mr Kenny claimed that such scenario is not feasible
as water would then have to be funded by the central
exchequer.
Mr Kenny said although he hasnt spoken to opposition leader
Michel Martin about the charges, he claimed that Mr Martin
knows very well what our position is

http://theliberal.ie/kennyclaimswaterchargesmuststay
asfiannafailsayanyrefundswouldcostintheregionof
e50m/

Kenny claims Water charges must stay as Fianna Fil say

any refunds would cost in the region of 50m
The Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has once
again pledged his support for keeping the much hated
household water charges. Mr Kenny who is

So our Irish government are letting APPLE off with 13

billion euro but there chasing the people of Ireland for
water charges.
Well i say fuck apple!!!!
Do we get a discount if we go to buy a brand new apple
iphone6 or 7???
We do in our arse!!!
Ireland has turned into the most corrupt state in Europe
and people are still cutting other people to shit when they
talk about corruption !!
Will people ever cop the fuck on!!
Get rid of labour, Fine Gael, Fianna Fil, sin Fein etc etc!!

All they are looking for is a blow in government for a

couple of years to boost their bank accounts!!
There the most corrupt cunts that are crying for power and
when they get in they reak havoc on The country.
Everything belonging to Ireland is being sold off and
nothing is being done about it!
The people that are awake to all this shit are fighting for
this country and the rest are looking on complaining about
how idiotic people are protesting and not paying their
bills , and paying revenue.
Well all I have to say is they are the cunts that are so
brainwashed to see what's going on.
Evictions are flat out in place.
The banks got their money back that they lost, the
government bailed them out but they will double their
money by taking all the property back that they
mortgaged to people and sell it off again!!
Yawn yawn yawn yawn,
WAKE FUCKING UP PEOPLE!!
THE GOVERNMENT ARE THE CROOKS, along with the
banks!!!
STAND UP , PROTEST AND STOP THIS SHIT GOING ON!!!
If every TD and senator who claim expenses, like the independent
minister who claims the long way round is the short way to the Dail,
but unfortunaly it adds thousands of taxpayers money to her
bulging salary.
Why are the people who claim excessive expenses, which they are
not allowed, not be charged with FRAID because that is what it is.
When will we have some honest TD have a question in the Dail on
this matter!
Will the left wingers table the motion, NO WAY, they are all on the
gravy train too.Will FG or FF call it, no, they don't want to upset the
independent,so as they all grab as much as they can, while been
in there, we the taxpayer will grin and bear it.
How many houses could be built, if they were all honest!

Senators Noone & Mulherin Turn Down

Shamrock Rovers Offer...For Now
23 Sep 2016

INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Shamrock Rovers have got two new fans on board following

their clever ticket promotion this week but the the
'discriminated' Senators won't be at Tallaght Stadium.
The club made a generous offer of 2 free tickets to ALL TDs
and Senators who were interested in attending tonight's SSE
Airtricity Premier Division clash with Galway United.
The move came after Senators Michelle Mulherin and
Catherine Noone went public to complain about the fact that
they were not entitled to buy All-Ireland Final tickets.
The GAA informed the angry duo that tickets were only set
aside for TD's to purchase, leading Mulherin to accuse the
Association of discrimination.
Noone called a rain check on her Rovers date, on Twitter this
evening!

2h

Shamrock Rovers F.C.

Follow

Sen Catherine Noone

4:45 PM - 23 Sep 2016 Dublin City, Ireland, Ireland

2
It remains to be seen as to whether Senator Noone will join
the Hoops faithful in the future but local MEP Lynn Boylan will
be there tonight.
21 Sep

Shamrock Rovers F.C.

Follow

Lynn Boylan MEP

Hey As a Tallaght woman and a Dublin MEP I'll buy 2 of

those tickets
2

5:12 PM - 21 Sep 2016 Dublin City, Ireland, Ireland

6 6 Retweets35 35 likes

And here is another positive response to the offer

21 Sep

Newstalk Sport

Good news for and

http://www.
newstalk.com/Shamrock-Rover
s-to-offer-free-tickets-to-all-TDs-and-Senators

Follow

Sen. Neale Richmond

12:40 PM - 21 Sep 2016 Dublin City, Ireland, Ireland

2
It turns out that Senator Richmond has to play for Old Wesley
tonight but he has promised the club to go to the next game.
There was no response from Senator Mulherin but she did
admit on radio last week that she doesn't even attend all of her
native Mayo's games either.
She could learn a thing or two from dyed-in-the-wool Galway
United supporter Michael D. Higgins who is no stranger to
League of Ireland grounds all around the country!

http://www.98fm.com/NoResponseFromSenatorsTo
FreeShamrockRoversTicketOffer
Great news for our Regional Airports!
Today I was delighted to announce 2.7m in grants for
Regional Airports
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD,
announced today that his Department is allocating 2.7
million in funding support for the four regional airports in
Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock, Kerry and Waterford.
These Exchequer grant allocations are being made under
the Regional Airports Programme 2015-2019, which was
approved last year by the EU Commission and
administered by my Department. The funding support that
I am announcing today will assist with capital investment
on various projects at the four regional airports over the
coming months in the areas of safety and security such as
CCTV monitoring equipment, repairs to taxiways, aprons
and perimeter roads, upgrades to electrical systems and
winter-ready equipment.The grants announced today are
in addition to a preliminary round of grant allocations
totalling 1.2 million for the airports that was announced
in April of this year, bringing the total Exchequer allocation
for capital projects under the Programme for 2016 to 3.9
million.
The National Aviation Policy which was published last

August acknowledges the role played by the regional

airports in promoting a level of international connectivity
to support the tourism and business sectors in their
regions and confirms that these airports are being given
the opportunity to grow to a viable, self-sustaining
position. The grant allocations announced today under the
Regional Airports Programme is further testimony of the
Governments support for necessary safety and security
measures at these airports where appropriate.
The extra 10 million in capital funding that is provided in
the Programme for Government will begin to come into
play from next year onwards and this will enhance my
Department's ability to further support the four regional
airports. This will bring to 38 million (was 28m) the
amount provided in the Capital Plan 2016-2022 for
supporting the airports in the areas of safety and security.

The EU: currently forcing the privatisation of water

services in Greece, despite citizen's opposition AND the
Supreme Court decision.
But sure, water won't be privatised in Ireland. Trust us, say
the EU and the Irish Government. Not likely
There are now serious questions now been asked about
the Right2Water submission to the expert group on the
future funding of domestic water services and

improvement on water quality. While there are questions

as to the failure of R2W to include issues from fluoride in
the water to the issues relating to the radio active smart
meters and all the other issues in between the major
concern been raised now is the change to article 28 of our
constitution. R2W want article 28 .4:2.1 changed to
"""The Government shall be collectively responsible for
the protection, management and maintenance of the
public water system. The Government shall ensure in the
public interest that this resource remains in public
ownership and management.""" This gives the ownership,
and management of our water to the existing government
(or a quango appointed by the government) and the line
(in the public interest) gives the government (or that
quango) permission to sell our water at any time if they
believe it would be in the public interest to do so. R2W
members should now clarify when, where and why did
they agree this submission and why do they support a
submission that calls , on behalf of their members, for the
sitting government to own, manage and control the water
that belongs to, and should always belong to the Irish
People.

Road-Users Urged to Make 21 September European Day

Without A Road Death

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross

TD today joined An Garda Sochna, the Road Safety
Authority (RSA) and TISPOL to support European Day
Without A Road Death, known as Project EDWARD, which
will take place on Wednesday 21 September. The initiative
has been organised by TISPOL, the Traffic Police network in
Europe, and its aim is that no-one dies on the roads of
Europe on Wednesday 21 September.
To support Project EDWARD, road-users are being asked to
make an online pledge to be a better, safer driver on
www.tispol.org/edward. To date, 96,214 pledges have been
made by road-users throughout Europe.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross TD
said:
We have all been impacted by the appalling loss of life on
our roads over the past few weeks. I hope that it serves as
a reminder of just how vulnerable we are on the roads.
However, small changes to our behaviour can have a
significant, life-saving impact so I would urge people to
use European Day Without A Road Death to reflect on their
behaviour on the roads and to consider what they can do
differently to be better, safer drivers. We need to take
responsibility for our actions on the roads if were going to
reverse the current trend of road fatalities.
Commissioner Nirn OSullivan, An Garda Sochna said:
Over the past decade, road-users in Ireland have worked
hard to change their behaviour on the roads for the better.
However, to date in 2016, 131 people have lost their lives
on our roads. We now need to re-focus our efforts in order
to prevent further needless loss of life. Project EDWARD is
an excellent opportunity to turn our attention towards our
own behaviour on the roads, to take personal
responsibility for our actions, and to make every effort to
share the roads safely with one another.
TISPOL President Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid

comments:
It is vital that we re-focus our attention on the efforts
needed to achieve the European 2020 fatality reduction
goals. TISPOL believes that strong leadership from
governments can make a massive difference in reducing
the number of people killed and seriously injured on our
roads.
However, we can only do this if we have the support of
individual road-users. So think about how you can reduce
risk by always wearing a seatbelt, keeping to speeds that
are both legal and appropriate for the conditions, not
driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, and not
using a mobile phone at the wheel. If everyone commits to
making small changes, then the road safety improvements
will be huge and we will achieve big reductions in the
number of people who are killed or seriously injured.
Pearse White, Director, Road Safety Authority said:
Road safety is a shared responsibility, just as our roads
are a shared space. None of us has the right to behave in
a way that endangers others. You might think that its ok
to drive a little bit above the speed limit, or to just have a
couple of drinks and drive home, or to not bother putting
your seatbelt on in the car. But the tragic reality is that
these actions could have serious and devastating
consequences for others. There are no more excuses - we
need to improve how we use the road.
Project Edward is supported by the European Commission,
the European Transport Safety Council and traffic police
forces from across TISPOLs 30 member countries. On
average, 70 people die and a further 370 are seriously
injured every day on Europes roads.
Those interested in getting involved can pledge their
support at www.tispol.org/edward where you can find
more information on how to support European Day
Without A Road Death.

To date this year, 131 people have been killed on Irish

roads, an increase of 18 when compared to the same
period last year. 4 people have died on our roads over the
last seven days. The RSA and An Garda Sochna have
conducted a review of fatalities for the first eight months
of the year to highlight areas of concern.
The review shows that:
Up to 31 August 2016, 119 people died in 111 fatal
collisions, an increase of 16% on fatalities for the same
period in 2015
Fatalities have increased among drivers (+12), passengers
(+7), pedal cyclists (+1) when compared to the same
period as 2015
On average, 15 people are dying on the roads every
month Non-wearing of seatbelts remains a concern for
both drivers and passengers
If this trend continues, 50 more people could lose their
lives by the end of the year
Anyone epileptic don't look at this

https://media.giphy.com/media/xTiTnFMF8SCPaQlbbi/giph
y.gif
LETS PRIVATIZE WATER RESOURCE SERVICES

http://www.ucowr.org/files/Achieved_Journal_Issues/V117_
A8Lets%20Privatize%20Water%20Resource
%20Services.pdf

Water Quality: Commission acts against

France, Greece, Germany, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the
United Kingdom

The European Commission has decided to take further legal

action against France, Greece, Germany, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom for
non-compliance with EU water quality legislation. The
legislation in question is the Directives governing Surface
Water, Bathing Water, Drinking Water, Shellfish Water,
Urban Wastewater and Nitrates. Legal action also relates to

an agreement on the protection of the Mediterranean Sea.

Commenting on the decisions, Margot Wallstrm, the Environment
Commissioner, said: "The European Commission must respond to
the particular concern of many citizens for a strong level of water
protection by ensuring that Member States comply with the range of
EU agreements that they have adopted for this purpose. It is
essential that all Member States adhere fully to these legislative
measures if we are to ensure a sustainable management of water
quantity and quality in Europe."
France
On 8 March 2001, the Court of Justice ruled against France for its
failure to comply with the 50mg/l limit for nitrates in surface waters
in Brittany which are used for the abstraction of drinking water. This
was contrary to the legal requirements of the Surface Water
Directive (Case C-1999/266). Effective measures are not yet in
place to combat this problem, so the Commission decided to send a
Letter of Formal Notice (first written warning) for not complying
with the judgement, under Article 228 of the Treaty of the European
Communities (EC).
Of three decisions to refer France to the Court under Article 226 of
the EC Treaty, the first concerns its failure to meet the December
2000 deadline for transposing the new Drinking Water Directive into
national legislation.
A second decision relates to France's failure to provide bathing
water monitoring results for 1999 (apparently because of an
internal dispute within the French administration), in contravention
of the Bathing Water Quality Directive.
The third decision to refer France to the Court under Article 226
relates to polluting discharges that are responsible for the decline of
the de Berre saline lake (in the Bouches du Rhone department),
which is one of the largest saline lakes in Western Europe. These
polluting discharges come from a hydroelectric power station and
consist of freshwater discharges and sediments containing
excessively high nutrient levels. These damage the sensitive
ecosystem of the lake. In the Commission's view, this pollution is
contrary to the Protocol governing the protection of the
Mediterranean Sea from land-based pollution sources.
Greece
Two decisions to refer Greece to the Court under Article 226 of the
EC Treaty concern the implementation of the Urban Wastewater
Treatment Directive.
The first concerns the Greece's failure to meet the 1998 deadline for
installing tertiary treatment (advanced treatment for the cleaning of
wastewater) for the region of Elefsina.
The second decision relates to inadequate wastewater treatment in
Athens. The city will eventually benefit from a major new treatment
plant at Psittalia (capable of treating the waste produced by five

million people). However, the stricter wastewater treatment

measures that are required to protect the receiving waters of the
Gulf of Saronikos will not be operational before the end of 2002.
Recent studies have shown those waters to be eutrophic i.e. to have
undergone a sharp increase in photosynthetic organisms, including
algae, and a lowering of the oxygen levels as anaerobic organisms
degrade the dead algae.
Greece has also received a Reasoned Opinion (second written
warning) under Article 226 for failing to designate the gulf of
Thermaikos as sensitive.
Germany
A decision to refer Germany to the Court under Article 226 of the
Treaty relates to German federal legislation concerning the Urban
Wastewater Treatment Directive. In the Commission's view, German
legislation fails to provide adequately for the monitoring of
wastewater treatment measures.
Luxembourg
A decision to refer Luxembourg to the Court under Article 226 of the
Treaty relates to Luxembourg's failure to met the December 2000
deadline for transposing the new Drinking Water Directive into its
national legislation.
Ireland
The decision to refer Ireland to the Court under Article 226 of the
Treaty follows an investigation into a complaint that Ireland has not
adopted any anti-pollution programmes under the Shellfish
Directive. Irish legislation previously only provided for programmes
where problems had already arisen, whereas, in the Commission's
view, programmes should be in place to help avoid pollution
occurring in the first place. Ireland has now amended its legislation
in response to the Commission's Reasoned Opinion. However, the
required programmes have still not been finalised and sent to the
Commission.
Belgium, Spain and United Kingdom
These Member States will be referred to the Court of Justice under
Article 226 of the Treaty for missing the December 2000 deadline
for transposing the new Drinking Water Directive into their
respective national legislation.
While Belgium has sent the Commission draft legislation for
Flanders and Wallonia, the Commission has not yet received final
adopted legislation. Spain has also sent a draft of part of the
required legislation, but once again final adopted texts have still not
been received. The decision to refer the United Kingdom to the
Court relates to the absence of legislation covering Northern Ireland
and Wales.
Protecting Europe's water : the EU agreements concerned
The Surface Water Directive(1) aims to protect the quality of
surface waters used for the abstraction of drinking water. It sets

standards and requires Member States to draw up a global and

coherent plan of action for all waters, with a special focus on poorquality ones, which should have led to the reduction of pollution
within 12 years of the entry into force of the Directive.
The Nitrates Directive(2) aims to prevent the introduction into
surface waters and ground waters of excessive levels of nitrates due
to the presence of agricultural fertilisers and agricultural waste.
Excessive nitrate levels cause undesirable ecological changes in
water and are a factor in the proliferation of harmful algal blooms.
They also adversely affect public health. The Directive required
Member States to carry out monitoring of surface waters and
ground water, to identify nitrate-polluted waters and to designate
vulnerable zones (i.e. intensive agricultural zones that include
nitrate-polluted waters) by December 1993.
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive(3) addresses the
nutrient-based, bacterial and viral pollution caused by urban
wastewater. Urban wastewater discharges, by introducing excessive
nutrients (in particular, phosphorous and nitrates) into rivers and
seas cause eutrophication" (sharp increases in photosynthetic
organisms, including algae, and a lowering of the oxygen levels as
anaerobic organisms degrade the dead algae). This can drastically
change the lake or sea's ecosystem. It may even include the death
of large numbers of fish, especially those that need high oxygen
levels such as trout. By introducing potentially harmful bacteria and
viruses, the dischrages also pose health risks in waters used for
bathing or shellfish culture. The Directive requires that cities, towns
and other population centres meet minimum wastewater collection
and treatment standards within deadlines fixed by the Directive.
The expiry of these deadlines was the end of 1998, 2000 and 2005,
depending on the sensitivity of the receiving water and on the size
of the population centre in question. The Directive required Member
States to have identified sensitive areas by 31 December 1993, and
to have met strict standards for discharging directly into these areas
or their catchments. This was to have been achieved by 31
December 1998 (including the removal of nutrients that contribute
to eutrophication). The Directive also imposes several other
requirements, including those relating to the monitoring of
wastewater discharges.
The revised Drinking Water Directive(4) is intended to replace the
existing Directive by the end of December 2003 at the latest. The
Directive establishes quality standards for drinking water and key
instruments for safeguarding public health. These standards apply
to a range of substances, properties and organisms (called
parameters). Among other things, the new Directive considerably
tightens the standards with regard to lead content, which reflects
current public health concerns. The deadline for adopting the
necessary national legislation was 25 December 2000.

The Bathing Water Quality Directive(5) is also important for public

health. It aims to ensure that bathing waters meet minimum quality
criteria by establishing a set of binding and more stringent
Community standards for a range of key parameters (such as
indicators of the presence of faecal bacteria).
It also requires that Member States carry out regular water quality
monitoring and send annual reports to the Commission detailing
bathing water quality. The legal deadline for complying with these
standards was 1985.
The Shellfish Water Directive(6) aims to safeguard the quality of
waters designated for shellfish and thereby contribute to ensuring
the availability of high quality edible shellfish. It also establishes a
set of water quality standards and requires Member States to put in
place programmes to ensure compliance with these standards.
In 1983, the then European Community ratified the protocol for the
protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution from landbased sources(7). This protocol was adopted under the Barcelona
Convention and commits parties to preventing or reducing pollution
of the Mediterranean caused by rivers, coastal installations and
waste discharge pipes.
Legal Process
As guardian of the EC Treaty, the Commission must make sure that
the legal requirements of the Treaty and legislation adopted under
the Treaty are respected by Member States. The procedure being
followed in this case relates to Article 226 of the Treaty, which gives
the Commission powers to take legal action against a Member State
that is not respecting its obligations.
If the Commission considers that there may be an infringement of
Community law that warrants the opening of an infringement
procedure, it addresses a "Letter of Formal Notice" to the Member
State concerned, requesting it to submit its observations by a
specified date, usually two months.
In the light of the reply or absence of a reply from the Member
State concerned, the Commission may decide to address a
"Reasoned Opinion" (or second written warning) to the Member
State. This clearly and definitively sets out the reasons why it
considers there to have been an infringement of Community law
and calls upon the Member State to comply within a specified
period, normally two months.
If the Member State fails to comply with the Reasoned Opinion, the
Commission may decide to bring the case before the European
Court of Justice.
Article 228 of the Treaty gives the Commission power to act against
a Member State that does not comply with a previous judgement of
the European Court of Justice. The article also allows the
Commission to ask the Court to impose a financial penalty on the
Member State concerned.

For current statistics on infringements in general see:

http://ec.europa.eu/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_com/index_en.ht
m#infractions
(1) Directive 75/440/EEC concerning the quality required of surface waters intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member
States
(2) Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources
(3) Council Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste water treatment
(4) Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption
(5) Directive 76/160/EEC concerning the quality of bathing water
(6) Directive 79/923/68/EEC on the quality required of shellfish waters
(7) See Council Decision 83/101/EEC concluding the protocol for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution
from land-based sources.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressrelease_IP02297_en.htm

REGIONS2020AnAssessmentof...Regionaldisparitiesin
economicoutputandincomeintheEuropeanUnionare
far...Greece,Spain,IrelandandPortugal
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/working
/regions2020/pdf/regions2020_en.pdf
To: Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the European Commission and member of
the Commission responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro

http://savegreekwater.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/10/first
letter_EN.pdf

EU COMMISSION REPLY 26/9/2012

http://savegreekwater.org/wp
content/uploads/2012/10/Commissionletter_EN.pdf
LETTERRESPONSEOFEUROPEANWATER
MOVEMENT17/10/2012
http://savegreekwater.org/wp
content/uploads/2012/10/replytheECsreplyfinal_EN.pdf
PUBLIC WATER FOR SALE: HOW CANADA WILL PRIVATIZE
OUR PUBLIC WATER ... Economic and Trade Agreement. ...
EU Free Trade Negotiations and Public Water.

http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/water
report1210.pdf
The EU Water Framework Directive ... Water Framework
Directive Water supports life. ... They are drawn up after
extensive public consultation,

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/factsheets/water
frameworkdirective.pdf
ThePrivatisingIndustryinEurope
https://www.tni.org/files/publication
downloads/tni_privatising_industry_in_europe.pdf
DRUGRESISTANTINFECTIONSAThreattoOur
EconomicFutureSeptember2016
http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/527731474225046104/AM
RDiscussionDraftSept18updated.pdf
CEEPActivityReport2008water
http://www.udpt.sk/doc/medzvztahy/CEEP%20Activity
%20Report%202008.pdf

A transatlantic
corporate bill of rights
Investor privileges in EU-US trade
deal threaten public interest and
democracy
https://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/attachments/tr
ansatlanticcorporatebillofrightsoct13.pdf
EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 11.7.2012 C ... governed by
public law, ... Greek State and PPA. This agreement was
ratified by law

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/245376/2453
76_1357614_49_2.pdf
CETA_Water_Report_FINAL_PublicWaterforSaleHoW
canadaWillPrivatizeourPublicWaterSyStemS

http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/CETA_
Water_Report_FINAL__EN.pdf

Fears that Irish Water and the water

supply network could eventually be
privatised are increasing in the wake of
major international trade agreements
the EU is conducting with the USA and
Canada.
Jan 20, 2015

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is

being negotiated between the EU and US, while the EU
has just concluded the Comprehensive Economic and
Trade Agreement with Canada. There are some small
references to these agreements in the national media, but
for the most part they have been largely ignored.
However, such agreements between massive economic
entities as the EU, the USA, and Canada are unlikely to
have little impact or be of little importance.
A public meeting, organised by Right2Water Galway, on
these trade agreements, entitled Another threat to our
WATER: CETA & TTIP, takes place tomorrow at 8pm in
Richardsons, Eyre Square.
Frank Keoghan of the Peoples Movement will outline how
CETA and TTIP could impact on public services, including
the Irish water supply, and turn them into profit making
commodities for private companies. Speaking ahead of
the meeting Mr Keoghan said, the US government has
made clear its intention to use TTIP to get access to
public monopolies in the areas of public utilities and such
services as health, education and water.
It is understood that the aim of TTIP and CETA is not to
stimulate trade through removing tariffs between the EU
and USA/Canada, but to remove regulatory barriers,
which could potentially include social standards,
environmental regulations, labour rights, food safety rules,
regulations on usage of toxic chemicals, digital privacy
laws, and new banking safeguards to prevent a repeat of
the financial crisis.

It is also understood that the deals seek to grant foreign

investors a right to sue governments in front of ad-hoc
arbitration tribunals for loss of profits/anticipated profits
arising from public policy decisions.

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/75028/euustrade
agreementcouldleadtoprivatisationofirishwatersupply

The Attempt to Privatize the

Water and Sanitation Utility of
Lima, Peru
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/109
86/19761/multi_page.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
You must deregulate and privatize essential public ... to
predominantly public services such as prisons, water ... and
European Union,

http://users.speakeasy.net/~peterc/wtow/wtogats.htm

Do not Let Fine Gael sign

away our Democracy!!!
Would you sign an agreement that was
discussed secretly which would impact
on the food you eat, working conditions,
health care, education, environment etc
but does not recognise our laws, courts
and constitution? No? Fine Gael would!
Are you familiar with the TTIP agreement? No ? You are not
supposed to until it is a done deal.
TTIP stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership a
so called free trade agreement between Europe and the USA.
The US has much lower standards of food production than we in

Europe have. They put hormones in their beef, dip chickens in

chlorine and use genetically modified crops. This agreement if
passed would force us to allow the free flow of products into
Europe and Irish farmers could struggle to compete as well as the
potential danger to public health.
This agreement is unnecessary as trade between Europe and the
US has never been better.2.5 Billion euros of goods and services
every day and only 5% of goods subject to tariffs.
Now the really scary bit ISDS (Investor State Dispute Settlement).
This is the Trojan horse in the agreement which allows
multinational corporations to sue national governments for loss of
earnings. Quebec in Canada is being sued after it voted to ban
fracking. Australia is being sued by tobacco company Philip Morris
over it plain Cigarette packaging. Egypt had to abandon their plans
to introduce a minimum wage when Veolia the same company that
is installing water meters in this country threatened to sue.
Corporate lawyers make up an ISDS tribunal which is held in
secret with no appeals process. Incredibly it does not recognise
our laws and so our constitution and directions from the Dail and
supreme court are meaningless. Richard Bruton is lobbying hard
for this agreement and even signed a letter to the EU commission
for its speedy implementation.
This is not a done deal and we need to speak up against it. We are
only a few months from an election. Inform politicians that you will
not vote for anyone who votes for TTIP.
For more information check out uplift.ie, stop-ttip.org and our
own facebook page Clare says no to TTIP.
DIL IREANN D Mirt, 21 Deireadh Fmhair, ... Irish Water;
the announcement ... confirm that it has no intention of
privatising Irish Water

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/Oct14/Supple/sp2110
14.pdf

Why the Irish government

is not required to
implement water charges on
households
Opinion: Missing from this debate is real scrutiny of the

EU Water Framework Directive

Fri, Nov 21, 2014, 00:01

Kathy Sinnott

Water protesters shout at Jan OSullivan TD Minister for Education & Skills as
she crosses the street outside Leinster House, Dublin on Wednesday.
Photograph; Dara Mac Dnaill / The Irish Times

Despite all that has been said about water charges

three very important issues have been strangely absent
from the debate.
First, the Government claims it must charge for
domestic water because it is required to in the EU
water framework directive. This is not true.
EU directives are binding. Member states must
implement them through national legislation. Article 9
of the water framework directive requires charging for
domestic water. There is one exemption. It is known
within the European Commission as the Irish
Exemption because it was won by the Irish and only
Ireland qualifies for it. It is found in article 9.4 of the
directive.
In 2000, the Irish government brokered this
exemption and the inclusion of article 9.4 which
formally and legally absolves Ireland and only Ireland
from the requirement to charge for domestic water.

This Bertie Ahern government stood up to Brussels and

insisted that the Irish people have the water they need
uncharged. Among other points it took great pains to
explain our water-soaked climate to officials from
dryer member states.
As an MEP I brought this to the public attention in
2008 when the last government was introducing water
charges for schools. On April 17th of that year minister
John Gormley stated in the Dil that The only
exemption available to Ireland, and availed of, is
contained in article 9.4 and relates to dwelling houses
using water for ordinary household purposes.
At that time I was assured by the EU Commission that
the Irish Exemption was ours to keep. Brussels could
not take it away. In fact it could only end if Ireland
cancelled it. This exemption belongs to us, the people
of Ireland. It protects us from having an essential
resource financially controlled by private or public
interests.

Mass protests

The Irish people in mass protests across the entire

country have made it clear that we do not agree to
domestic water charges. Although the Irish
Exemption is not widely known, the Irish people in
their absolute rejection of water charges have also
made it clear that they do not agree with cancelling this
valuable exemption. Once gone this exemption is gone
for good. It is evident from our Governments actions
and statements that it is attempting to cancel this
exemption without our consent or knowledge.

Our Constitution

This contravenes our Constitution. All powers of

government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive,
under God, from the people, whose right it is to . . . in
final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy,

according to the requirements of the common good.

Water is unquestionably a primary requirement of the
common good. The EU water framework directive
informs our national water legislation. The directive
gives the EU control of all water in Europe. This
includes the water that falls from the sky, that flows in
rivers, springs and underground, water that fills our
wells, lines our coasts and stretches out to sea and
presumably the water that makes up 60 per cent of our
bodies.
It is this claim to EU ownership of a God-given
resource, essential to humans, plants and animals
which is so dangerous. It allows government to act as if
water is its to control; to lease, to sell, to contract and
tax.
Finally, the requirement of the directive to charge for
essential use of water in homes, schools, and hospitals
is based on the UN polluter pays principle. This is a
false premise when applied to the essential everyday
use of water.
This principle may be applicable for industrial
processing and those who abuse water by
contaminating and wasting it. But it is absolutely
wrong to define in law every use of water as polluting
and to define anyone who uses water as a polluter.
We must have water. It is a requirement of life. In fact
our use of water is part of natures water cycle which
replenishes and refreshes water. It is an insult to our
human dignity to be deemed a polluter because we
wash or take a drink of water.
The Government cannot be allowed to cancel the hard
won Irish Exemption. Since the Government is not
acting on our behalf nor is it acting on behalf of the EU,
why and for whom is it trying to force us to pay for
water?

Kathy Sinnott was an MEP from 2004 to 2009 and

member of the European Parliaments environment,
public health and food safety committee
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/whytheirish
governmentisnotrequiredtoimplementwatercharges
onhouseholds1.2009288
uropean Commission realized that insisting on ISDS could
threaten the success of the whole TTIP project. The
European Commission therefore proposed to drop ISDS
and to create an Investment Court System (ICS) for the
resolution of investor-state disputes under TTIP

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/september/tradoc
_153807.pdf

The Court rules that the plan to create the

European Patents Court is incompatible with
Union law.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/legal_service/arrets/09a001_en.pdf
Thehumanrighttowaterandsanitation
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/facts_and_figures
_human_right_to_water_eng.pdf

RIGHT2CHANGE TRADE UNIONS

RESPOND TO JOAN BURTON
CRITICISMS

According to the Irish Independent, Tnaiste Joan Burton has

lashed out at trade unions who she says don't consider upgrading
the country's water system to be a priority.
The Labour Party leader said she finds it "astonishing" that some
unions are part of the anti-water charge movement, given the scale
of problems.
"It's very odd to have elements of the trade union movement, who
appear to be reluctant to accept the idea that water, while
absolutely a right, actually has to be funded and paid for," Ms
Burton said.
In a response to Tnaiste Joan Burtons comments, the
Right2Change trade unions said: This is not the stance of some
unions. It is the official policy of the entire trade union movement
on the island of Ireland, as was democratically voted for at the last
Irish Congress of Trade Unions Biennial Delegate Conference this
year. A conference, it must be added, that Tnaiste Burton
attended.
The Unions continued, It is unfortunate that the leader of the
Labour Party has attempted to portray the Right2Change trade
unions as irresponsible saying we dont consider upgrading the
countrys water system to be a priority.
We have repeatedly called for more investment in our water
services, while this current government and the previous one
reduced funding by 65 percent from 839m to 289m.

This has never been about whether our water services need
investment, it has always been a question of how that investment
is funded. We, and the broader water movement, want it to be
funded through general taxation which is progressive, fair and
takes account of your ability to pay.
The statement from the unions continued: You cant on the one
hand say our water services are in dire need of investment, and on
the other hand give tax breaks to the wealthiest in our society, as
was done in the recent Budget. To everybody campaigning within
the water movement, this is simply a transfer of wealth from the
most vulnerable and the poorest in our society to the wealthiest.
In June of this year Irish Water announced that 81% of Co
Roscommon residents affected by boil water notices have now
been given the all-clear to drink their own tap water. The fact this
was done entirely through general taxation proves that our method
of paying for water services and infrastructure works.
In her statement, Tnaiste Burton says she accepts that water is a
human right, yet the policy being imposed by her government does
not reflect that and in fact completely ignores UN Resolution
64/292.
Furthermore, the Unions say the real agenda behind water
charges is not about investment in our water system, but about the
future privatisation of our water in Ireland.
At the ICTU BDC in Ennis, a motion calling for a referendum to
enshrine ownership of our water services in the constitution was
unanimously supported by every trade union in the country, and
yet the Labour Party in government have refused to offer this
referendum to the people of Ireland. The only logical explanation
for this is the intention to privatise water in the future.
There is no doubt, should there be future financial turmoil which
leads to another Irish bailout which is increasingly likely due to
the continued pro-cyclical fiscal policies of this government that
the Troika, EU and the IMF would demand the sale of our public
water services, as they did in Portugal and Greece in their bailout
negotiations. The only reason Ireland was not forced into selling off
our water system during the previous bailout was because there
was no revenue raising mechanism in place at that time to provide
a sufficient profit for the private sector.
The Trade Unions concluded: It is unacceptable for the leader of
the Labour Party to criticise trade unions who are representing the
wishes of their members and advocating the protection of the most
vulnerable from regressive water charges. Particularly when the

leader of the Labour Party is standing over a policy which will

ensure privatisation of our public water system in the future

http://www.right2change.ie/blog/right2changetradeunions
respondjoanburtoncriticisms

Over 30,000 at risk of home repossession.

- Over 700 people a week on hospital trolleys.
- Jobsbridge advertising for QUALIFIED vets for 50 a week
- Over 400,000 emigrated since 2012.
- Over 1500 children homeless in Dublin alone.
- 20% of children going to school or bed hungry.
- 30% of people living in poverty.

- Over 600 households a month disconnected from gas

and electricity
- Over a million hours slashed from home help services for
the sick and elderly.
And the Govt tell us we're in recovery!
It can only mean one thing...
Note!
Comments and posts on this page that are discriminative and/or
abusive to any section of the people or the community WILL be
deleted and the poster banned from the page.
The same goes for any comments or posts that are quite celearly
intended on causing or promoting hatred, ignorance and division
between the people or the community.
In light of this a recent post on this thread has been deleted as it
falls foul of the above with regards to people who are unemployed
and/or on social welfare.
There will be NO time given on THIS page for ANYONE to only wishes
to divide the people or the community, or to discriminate or abuse
any particular section of the community.
Not prepared to let people, obviously trolls, or people who would for
whatever reasons, mainly political, wish to see the overall anti-water
charge movement collapse come on here and abuse or discriminate
against people just because they may be unemployed or on social
welfare, and then go on to blame them for their own problems, in
what's an obvious attempt to disupt this page, and to try and divide
people, then they deserve to be removed.
There's enough division in society and in this country already.
There's no need for anyone to add to it.

Apparently, the Govt have approved a 25 yr plan for Irish

Water.
Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous and pointless.
Well, actually, yes, you probably have given the amount of
farcical announcements and deadlines that have gone on
throughout this whole Irish Water debacle... this is just
another notch on the Govts bedpost of pathetic,
meaningless drivel.

The facts:- None of the present cabinet will even be

around in 25 yrs.- This Govt will be out of power after the
next election.- The obscene amount of taxpayers money
wasted into Irish Water on a daily basis cannot continue
for another 5 yrs, let alone 25!
For the Govt to come out with such a pithy, completely
ridiculous statement shows without doubt that they are
desperate to try and convince the public that Irish Water is
here to stay.. when we all know damn well, they won't
even have a say in that after the election, and also judging
by the continung overwhelming amount of people that are
refusing to pay!
To even contemplate having a 25yr plan for anything in
this day and age, when political, economic, financial
conditions can change so much on a daily basis alone,
shows a complete and utter display of stupitidy and
incompetence from an inept Govt that outdoes everything
that even they have managed to come up with so far.
They are so far removed from the real world it is amazing.
We have a Taoiseach himself who invents stories in his
head!
Time for them to be removed from office
Disgraceful. No regard for people whatsoever.. only for
installing damn water meters!
It's hard to know just what name to use for Alan Kelly. It
could be 'Comical' Kelly, 'Calamity' Kelly or now it seems,
possibly 'Cowardly' Kelly if he allows his Labour's
puppetmasters, Fine Gael, to silence him and prevent him
damaging the coalition anymore than it already is.
Either way, the buck stops with him for the homeless
emergency. It's happening under his watch and he has
been far too complacent and shown a complete inability or as the case is more likely to be, a reluctance! - to either
comprehend the enormity of it, or to be able to tackle it.
No excuses. The blame games won't work Kelly. Far too
late for that.
Your department. Your watch. Your fault.
Now do the country a favour, get your stuff, get out, and
let us elect a new Govt with someone who is up to the job!

The future of Irish politics is changing. Not before time

either. Given the savage cruelty the people of this country
have been forced to suffer by this Govt under their brutal
austerity regime, never before has there been more need
for change.
A change for equality. A change for justice. A change for
democracy. A change for fairness. A change that gives
everyone a right to health, housing, decent work, and
decent education irrespective of their status or wealth.
Don't fear change. Be a part of it.

Irish Water apologises

over 'no notice' barriers
By David tucker
PUBLISHED
27/10/2015

George and Monica Carley behind the barricades in Davitt Road

North.

Irish Water has apologised after a

wheelchair-bound man was 'barricaded' into
his house by one of its crews who arrived
unannounced to install a water meter.
Jacinta Ryan, from Davitt Road North, said her parents,
George and Monica Carley, had received a 14-day notice
booklet from Irish Water, but the first her mother know
that a crew had been outside was when she looked out last
Monday morning to find barricades in place with only a 27
inch gap left for access.
'There was no sign of the workers, and there was no notice
whatsoever that work was starting,' said Jacinta, who
contacted Cllr Anthony Kelly and later spoke to Cllr
George Lawlor to try to get the situation resolved.
She said that at about 4.30 p.m. an Irish Water crew
arrived, but she told them not to do anything until an
explanation was offered about why the job had been
started without her parents being notified.
'I asked them why was that (the barrier) put up there and
was 27 inches reasonable access, never mind for a
wheelchair user.'
Jacinta said she then heard a worker on the phone saying
that he 'had to deal with this s**t'.
'My 81-year-old father barricaded into his house is not a
s**t issue,' she said.
Cllr Lawlor said he spoke to James Whelan from the
county council who in turn spoke to Irish Water. Later in
the day, another Irish Water van arrived and the situation
was resolved 'in a civil and polite manner' with the barriers
being moved and the hole for the meter covered with hard
plastic.
'They came back this morning and finished the job,' said
Jacinta.
She said she had been told that the Irish Water workers
did not knock doors before proceeding with their work
fitting meters in case they sparked protests.

But this, she said, was simply not good enough in a case
like hers in which her father needed 24-hour access to and
from his house.
'What would have happened if we had needed the
emergency services?'
She said that on Tuesday, Fintan Ryan from Irish Water
had called to the house, 'apologised profusely' and said he
would find out why the barriers had been put up without
notice.
Jacinta said she wanted to thank Cllrs Lawlor and Kelly for
their help in getting the issue resolved.
Wexford People
http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/news/irishwaterapologises
overnonoticebarriers34144957.html

Enda.. saved us from the army at the ATMS, the aliens, the
end of the world... blah blah blah.. only in his own head!
He's starting to make Norman Bates look normal!
Statement from Ballyphehane South Parish says no , in relation to

the new Garda task force .

Ballyphehane and the South Parish are two of the most established
and settled suburbs of Cork City. Built after WW2 by Cork
Corporation to provide housing for families, primarily from the City
Centre, who were living in overcrowded and unsafe tenements and
who had become prey to greedy landlords. Carefully planned as a
model of community. Straight streets, long gardens, schools, shops
and pubs. The construction gave decades of decent employment
and generations of safety and security for the families living there.
Mostly, for the people who moved to this model community,
Ballyphehane offered hope of a better future for them and their
families. Generations have grown up and now, although there is a
lot of young families, we have mostly an elderly population. Because
of good planning, and an even better community spirit,
Ballyphehane and the South Parish are probably the safest areas of
Cork in which to grow up or to grow old.
The signatories of the Proclamation are honored on the names of the
roads, streets and parks and you can almost hear their voices,
whispering on the wind as you walk around this community. The
proclamation calls on us to "...cherish all of the children of the
nation equally ..", the water metering program ensures that will
never happen. The idea that one child, because of economic
circumstances, can live in sanitary conditions or have clean clothes
while another cannot, is obscene.
This week we saw IW trying to force water meters on our aging
neighbours. People who have worked hard all their lives, only to be
intimidated in their latter years, in their own homes by a private
water company. 580 million of our money has been taken from the
'pension reserve fund' to pay for those meters. Meters which will be
used to put a toll on our water and ration the most vulnerable in our
society. We saw a huge number of Gardai assisting a private
company in forcing water meters on our community. They are fine
young men and women who have been ordered to do this work,
they don't get a choice. Who does that serve, who does that protect,
did you ever ask why?
Let's have a look at those water meters, they need to be replaced or
recalibrated after 5 years, that's a cost to you of over 500 every 5
years. Domestic water accounts for 16% of all water consumption
and if citizens were to sit on their footpaths and watch those meters,
it could possibly save 6% of that. That's a saving of less than one
percent. Contrast that with the fact that, 46% of all treated water is
lost through leaks on the roads from the mains. Why the drama, why
because the end game is to charge up to 800 per family and
ultimately to sell off our water services to some private corporation.
Many well known people come from Ballyphehane, one is the Labour
party TD Ciaran Lynch, Ciaran was elected on an anti water charges
election promise, in fact, as far back as 2009 he said ..we will
resist, come what may, the reintroduction of domestic water
charges. Labour believes that everyone has the right to free, clean,

safe drinking water. Ciaran Lynch TD, Apr 2009. The difference
between politicians and average people like us, is that, we don't
bargain with our human rights, nor do we trade or charge for human
rights and we don't sit at home when our human rights are
threatened. The government do not have a mandate for water
charges, in fact they were mandated to do the opposite. Not only
have they reneged on their commitments to the citizens of Ireland,
they have dishonoured the founders of this state, disgraced
themselves in the eyes of the people and shamed our gardai.
We in Ballyphehane/South Parish will honor our past, future and
present generations by peacefully protecting our human right to
water. We will continue to peacefully protest until Irish Water is
disbanded, the legislation that created it is repealed and water and
waste water services are returned to local democratic control.
Ballyphehane/South Parish says no to water charges , community

winning..This isn't a game. It's people's right to their own

natural resource and human right we are all fighting for!
It's about being right, about fighting injustice, fighting
corruption, and fighting the lie that we don't already pay
for water. By God we do! ..and thanks to the Govt's
demented obsession with pumping our money into a failed
scam we are paying over 1,000 EACH HOUSEHOLD for it
now when the 1.1 Billion they have embezzled into it is
counted!
Well.. the 3rd bills will be here soon (if you havent got one
already).. you've seen the figures.. you know there's no
point paying.. so 'Bin & Burn' those bills people! Let's
finish this!

What's the true cost of your water?

210 (average of 160-210) per year water charges?
- No.
600 a year from general taxation per household on the
domestic water supply? (That's what you're ALREADY
paying!)- No, that's not all..Now add to it the 1.1 Billion
already pumped into Irish Water!- That's another 713 per
household..
The total cost of your water?
1,543 per household! so far ....
By the end of 2016 - after the total pumped into Irish
Water will have risen to 2.6 BILLION - the total cost of
your water wiil be:
3,353! per household!
(1,733 per household pumped into Irish Water, 420 ave.
water charges & 1,200 you will have ALREADY paid
through general taxation!)
It doesn't have to be this way. We can stop this.

Refuse to pay, and vote for a new Govt at the election.

Let's come together and do this.
The calamity continues.. your money keeps being
wasted...
1) Irish Water was forced to delete the online accounts of
700 'customers'. They claim it didn't affect their customer
database. LIE. Considering these accounts would have
been linked to that database, damn right it affected it!
They gave no other reason why the accounts had to be
deleted.. meaning they are afraid to tell us the real
reason.
2) Irish Water have paid out (meaning YOU and ME have
paid it out for them!) over 200,000 in damages to people
and property arising from meter installations.Think about
that for a second. YOU and ME paid for the meters to be
put in thanks to the Govt stealing our pensions fund
money, our Property Tax money and our Motor Tax money
(It's our money! - our taxes!) to give to Denis O'Brien's
Siteserv.And now.. we also pay for the damage Irish Water
caused in putting them in!
Are you happy with that? Moreso, is anyone who
represents or is standing for Fine Gael or Labour happy
with that? Happy that your constituents money is being
used to fund this disaster? That people's pension funds
they have built up over decades of hard work have been
stolen to fund it? That you are trying to defend and you
voted for this shambles that is continuously draining the
income from the pockets of the people YOU claim to
represent?!
We'd just love to hear from you... you'll be hearing from us
come the election... our votes will do all the talking for us!
Maybe you'll listen to us and be a bit more bothered then!
The 200,000 we (Irish Water with OUR money!) paid out
is only for 491 out of the 872 cases (how many more were
there that went unreported or were settled out of court...)..
which means there is STILL, at the minute, ANOTHER 381
cases to be settled! ..with YOURS and MY money!
Now, if you weren't out protesting about this on Saturday
you should have been. Because it's your money that's
being wasted every single minute of every day on this
catastrophe.

We have a nice window poster on this page.. put it up and

let your local politicians know exactly how you feel when
they come round looking for your vote, and how you feel
having your pensions stolen, and your hard-earned taxes
pilfered and wasted on Irish Water, who then use more of
your money to pay for their own cock ups!
Firstly, being a protester doesnt make you a loonie, a
leftie, a yob, a troublemaker.
No, being a protester shows you have a conscience, you
care, you want to make a difference, you have the
courage to stand up and act to bring about a change for
the better.
There will be more protests to come in the build up to the
election.. some for water charges, some against austerity
in general.
These are your opportunities to show you care, show you
have a conscience and you want to make a difference, to
help bring about change and make a better country.Thats
what the people in Listowel did on Saturdays water
charges protest.It wouldnt have mattered were there only
one person there. A single spark can ignite a massive fire,
a single ripple can cause a tidal wave.As long as there is
even one person willing to be that catalyst for change,
others will follow.It doesnt matter who you are, you can
be the spark. You can be the ripple. Be the one that others
follow.In the build up to the election, seize the day! Seize
the opportunity to make a real difference.. by joining the
protests, by refusing to accept or pay water charges, by
refusing to accept the Govts privatisation agenda, by
protesting against homelessness, against suicide, against
the state of the HSE, by making sure you are registered to
vote, and by voting for change.. and by being the spark,
the ripple that lights the fire in the hearts of others, and
helps build the tidal wave of change!You can all do it. It's
within you all. In your homes, your families, in your
streets, in your villages, towns and cities!Come together
and believe..Believe in the power of a united people.
United for Ireland. United for change.
Anybody think Fianna Fail had no part in the water
charges? Think again. they had it all planned out long

before the Troika came to town! Fine Gael/Labour just took

the pass and ran with the ball
Water charges for a single person = 3.07 a week (160 a
year)
The Govt gives pensioners 3 a week.
Paying the elderly to pay Irish Water to charge them for
their water!
What's it to be? Rent, heat, electric, gas, food or water?
Some choice! Welcome to reality Ireland!
DONT LET IT CONTINUE!
Demonstrate against water charges.

Did anyone really believe it was for 'conservation' (CON

being the operative word!).. no. It was a 'compliance'
payment. Like offering sheep a pile of hay to get them to
enter the pen with. Once you're in, BANG!. The pen is
locked. You're right where they want you.
They dnever wanted you to just 'register' or 'apply'.

No. They wanted you to COMPLY!

How can anyone vote for a Govt so untrustworthy, so
deceptive, so sly and treacherous as the one we have now.
The answer?
Don't.
Irish Water are to take on more staff.. this time to keep
track of the amount of deadlines they keep having.
A source said "Our systems can't keep up! We've ran out
of beads on our abacus trying to count all the deadlines! "
Meanwhile, Alan Kelly is yet to deny reports that the 100
bribe is to be given away in lucky bags, packets of
cornflakes and in Willy Wonka chocolate bars.

Conservation grant? What conservation grant? It's always been

known as the "Compliance Payment" for people in the know!
'Four days later, John Palmer sent a warning to Derek Moran and
Ann Nolan, another top-level official in the department.
"The big risk is that the linkage of the 100 compliance payment to,
as the name suggests, compliance is going to make it difficult to
justify to Eurostat that it is a separate payment. If they consider it to
be a subvention to IW, then the market test will be failed," Finance
official John Palmer, Department of Finance.'

Here's an interesting question.. If the Govt claims Irish

Water is not a private company, but State owned.. then
why the need for shares in it? Why have shares in a State
owned company. Surely there is only the one
'shareholder', and that is the Irish people, as the company
is owned, so we are told, by the State.. you and me.
No need for shares. All proceeds go back into the State..
supposedly.. or in the case of Irish Water, 3 Million of it
goes into the pockets of just 129 Irish Water staff!
The only need for shares is when there is a view to

privatisation!
read on...
In February 2014, Michael Noonan told the Dil that as
part of an 'investment for equity' plan, the Govt would be
shelling out 240 Million (from the Central Taxpayer
Fund .. OUR MONEY!) into Irish Water - in other words,
they were claiming this money was to buy up further
shares.. but hang on.. there are only meant to be TWO
shares in Irish Water, split between THREE shareholders!
- One share belongs to Ervia (formerly Bord Gais)
- The other share is split 50-50 between the Minister for
Finance (Michael Noonan) and the Minister for
Environment (Alan Kelly).
This is stated in the Water Services Act 2013:
'(4) One share in the company shall be issued to the
Board, and,
of the remaining shares in the company, half shall be
issued to the Minister (of Environment) and half shall be
issued to the Minister for Finance.'
So, some vital questions need answering:
1) How can any more shares be bought when there were
only 2?
2) What other shares are there?
3) Why don't we know about them?
4) How MANY more are there?
5) Why are there more shares?
4) If there aren't any, then what ones were the Govt
referring to when claiming the 240 Million was to buy up
more shares?
This 'investment' you see was simply to disguise the fact
that the Govt was pumping another quarter of a BILLION
euro into Irish Water, and attempting to mislead the
Eurostat ruling (which the Govt failed anyway!) into it
classing it as an equity (cash for shares) payment, when it
was also claiming that there were only TWO shares!
Now whichever way you look at it, this is fraud.
Pure financial deception.
The money CAN NOT have been used to buy shares..
because there were no more shares to buy! .. or so we
were being told!
Michael Noonan, the Irish Finance Minister, was lying to
and deceiving the Dil and the public! No doubts about it.

On the other hand, if there ARE more shares, then not only
Noonan, but Enda Kenny, Joan Burton, Alan Kelly and Phil
Hogan have ALL committed the same offences of lying to
and deceiving the Dil and the public by telling us there
are only two.
Either way they are all guilty!
The Govts whole argument that Irish Water cannot be
privatised is the '2 shares' situation. Whereby none of the
shares can be sold off without the consent of the relevant
Ministers - dependent on the result of a plebiscite (Note:
not a referendum because the Govt refuse to let us have
one on it!).
The conclusion..
If there ARE more shares (or more will be created that we
havent been told about) then the Govts whole defence is
now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, exposed as a total lie..
and so is the Govts claim that Irish Water is not about
privatisation. It clearly is.
And they are clearly lying and deceiving you and me again
over it as they have been all along.
Don't put up with it. Don't pay for it. Don't vote for it!

Want to know why theres not enough money for:

a) More hospital beds?
b) More social housing?
c) More mental health services?
d) More home help hours?
e) Better roads?
Here you go:
-

86 Million on consultants
540 Million to install water meters
290 Million from Motor Tax in 2014
265 Million from Motor Tax in 2015
316 Million from Motor tax in 2016
439 Million from the Local Govt Fund

- 650,000 on advertising
- 900,000 more on consultants to regulate IW
- 86,000 a week on legal fees
- 136,000 to repair leaks caused by meter installations
- 130 Million debt from commercial water rates
- 50,000 to fix a polluted river caused by Irish Water in
Monaghan
- 40 Million paid out to homes who are not Irish Water
customers
- 60 Million on 100 conservation bribe (could rise to
200 Million)
850 Million that Irish Water are already in DEBT!
2.6 BILLION put into IW by the Govt by the end of 2016
.. this is just the waste that we know about!
Welcome to the Irish Govt remake of The Money Pit
Starring Enda Kenny, Joan Burton, Alan Kelly, Michael
Noonan, Denis OBrien, Siteserve & the management of
Irish Water!
Want to know what to do about it?
1. Refuse to pay water charges
2. Vote this Govt out at the next election.
You have the choice. You have the power. You have to use
it.
For the good of the country, for the good of the people.
Irish Water was formed, so we are told, by the joining
together of the 34 local authority water services - and in
that sentence is why it wasn't needed at all!.. the
manpower, and knowhow, was already in place!. It just
needed running more efficiently.. and without the illegal
Govt embezzlement of taxpayers funding that has
depreived and decimated our water services for decades!
Anyone know what embezzlement means?
Well, here you go...
'Embezzlement is an act of dishonestly withholding assets
for the purpose of conversion (theft) of such assets, by
one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted,
either to be held or to be used for specific purposes.'
Make no mistake, what has happened to the funding from

taxpayers money that was meant for water services is

nothing less than embezzlement!
It hasn't been accounted for, and nobody has been held to
account for it. It is a crime. Pure and simple.
So, back to the joining of the local authorities to form Irish
Water. Now the questions is, was the manpower there in
the first place. Yes. Was the manpower enough? Very
questionable. Otherwise, would the water system be in the
state it is? If you deprive the system of money, which
successive Govts have done via their embezzlement of the
funding, then inevitably you are going to end up with it
being seriously understaffed!
Now, Irish Water have their propoganda trumpets out
again, telling us they are going to reduce the number of
staff by another 1200 in the next six years (for a start they
won't be around then but that's another matter)...and this
is going to help improve Irish Waters pathetic level of
service how?
You see as soon as you cut costs, frontline services suffer.
It's an inevitable consequence.
In the last 6 months Irish Water have only managed to fix
1000 leaks out of 50,000 they claim to have 'discovered'
(anyone who lives in a house with a leaky tap or noisy
cistern KNOWS they have a leak).. and they think laying
off 1200 people will IMPROVE that level of service?
Complete and utter nonsense born out of sheer
desperation.. and you can bet it's not for our benefit! Oh
no. This is entirely for the benefit of trying to pass the next
Eurostat test!
Some figures..
Irish Water claims they will save 1.1 Billion over 6 years
with the staff reductions.
John Tierney, Irish Water Managing Director: 200,000 a
year.. paid by you and me.
He also blew 12,000 on a 'company' credit card in 2014..
that was also paid for by you and me of course.
28 other people at Irish Water are on salaries of over
100,000 per year.. yes, paid for by you and me again.
That's 3 MILLION a YEAR on their salaries alone!
Without adding their pensions and expenses!
Now if you're talking money saving..
- GET RID OF THEM!!

- Wind up Irish Water.

- Stop fitting meters!
- Stop wasting money on call centres and social welfare
staff who are now working for Irish Water instead of the
people of the State!
_ Return the management of our water system to local
authorities, where the local authority management
systems are already in place, provide the proper adequate
funding and manpower, & make sure it GETS THERE.. and
not into some giveaway election budget bribe!
It's easy. It's common sense. It's the right thing to do.
It benefits the people of this country not private profit for
the Govts business aquaintances and party funders!
It's why the Govt won't do it.

Ok. If you've listened to Newstalk or watched RTE news

today, you will have had the latest round of Irish Water
propoganda nonsense thrown at you. So lets debunk the
rubbish again..
Irish Water claim they have 'detected' 50,000 leaks in six
months. What they dont say is what type of leaks they are

or where they are. Nor do they say how many of those

leaks were cause by THEM actually installing meters!
Strange that.. some might say they plucked the 50,000
figure out of somewhere the sun doesn't shine.. after all
they do have a habit of doing that don't they!What they
don't tell you is that they claimed to have detected 30,000
leaks back in April! So are they saying that since then they
have only detected 20,000 in the last six months?They
then go on to claim they have 'repaired' (again the word
repaired covers a multitude of possibilities) 3,500 although according to TV3 news this figure was only
1,500!What they also don't tell you is that 250 in Dublin
alone (this was the figure back in February - God knows
what it is now!) of those leaks were caused by Irish Water
themselves in installing meters, which they had to repair
at a cost (to me and you of course) of 136,000!
So, out of 50,000 leaks they claim to have detected, Irish
Water thinks we should be impressed that they have fixed
less than 10% (3%) if you go by TV3 News) of them! ..3%!
and that's meant to be a GOOD thing?
For the billions that have been wasted on Irish Water?
For the millions wasted on it EVERY day!
What's more.. the cost of fixing two thirds (66%) of these
leaks had to be paid for by the 'customer'!
Funny term to use that isn't it.. 'customer'.. when the
company you are meant to be a 'customer' of makes you
pay to fix the equipment they want to charge you for
supplying you a service with. An absolute farce. (Just like
the 100 fee they expect you to pay to even get them to
look at a meter that might be faulty!)
Also, if the customer PAID for these leaks to be fixed.. the
question to be asked is.. did Irish Water even fix them? For
the customer to have to pay, the leaks would have had to
be INSIDE the building and therefore either fixable by the
customer themselves or by a plumber, such as the attic
ballcock, a toilet or a dripping tap and they would not
have been covered by Irish Water's so-called 'first fix'
scam ..oops scheme.
Are Irish Water falsely claiming credit here.. quite possibly.
Next. They claim to have detected 50,000 leaks. Funny
that, when they claimed earlier this year that it would take
until the end of 2016 to inspect 55,000 households!

hmm...
Somebody's telling fibs again... stand up and take a bow
Jerry Grant of Irish Water!
Not to mention the fact that they also claimed earlier this
year that by the end of 2016 they would have fixed 23,235
leaks!
They have some hope when they can only fix 1,500 in six
months!
You see, they always end up tripping themselves up with
their figures. Their propoganda holds less water than a
sieve!

But hang on, if these "leaks" have been there for a while ie before
IW took over, what were the councils doing, ignoring them? And as
we've paid, through our taxes for water, since 1997, why are there
leaks anyway, what was the money spent on? So it's either
negligent councils for the past God knows how long not providing
adequate service, but charging for it or utter bullshit being sent out
by IWs marketing dept, again! Doesn't add up...

In August, Irish Water sent out more than 1.3 million

letters inviting people to apply for their 100 entrapment

bribe (lets call it what it is) for registering. Now, for a
start, considering there is only 1.5 million people who they
claim are legible to pay water charges that must mean
that up to August only 200,000 of that 1.5 million had
actually registered otherwise why send out 1.3 million
letters, when supposedly, if you already registered you
were eligible for the bribe anyway? The only reason? Just a
paltry couple of hundred thousand out of 1.5 million had
bothered to register.. The Govt must have large extended
families thats all we can conclude from that!
As it stands now, only 700,000 have signed up (i.e.
registered) for the bribe.
Less than half. In fact, so desperate are the Govt and Irish
Water that they are opening up a special helpline! What?!
Thats how stupid they think we are! They think people are
not signing up because they dont know how and they
need help! Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous in
your life!
Now, if the Govt can open up a special helpline to try and
convince people to sign up for an Irish Water entrapment
bribe why the hell cant they open up far more urgent and
worthwhile helplines for people who are homeless, suicidal
or suffering from mental illnesses? Oh no. That wouldnt
bring in revenue to give away at the election would it!
Instead theyll leave that mess to the charities and
community organisations to deal with.. heaven forbid a
Govt should look after the interests of its people first
instead of private business eh!
Anyway, back to the figures. So still, less than half the
possible number of people have signed up. After all this
time. All the adverts. All the propoganda. The lies. The
deception. The bribery.. and still, the Govt waste millions
on a daily basis on this most disastrous waste of taxpayers
money ever witnessed in Ireland. Still they waste millions
on it while the homeless crisis has now turned into a
national emergency, while the HSE is crumbling apart
before our eyes (and the eyes of all the sick and elderly
waiting on trolleys!), while the suicide figures continue to
horrify and terrify communities across Ireland.. and do you
know what? They want you to re-elect them for doing it
and allowing it!

Ask yourselves.. who in their right minds would seriously

want to be responsible for prolonging this by voting for
them again?
well worth reading and understanding. Irish Water is
nothing but a corrupt money-making, debt collecting scam
- meanwhile, where is the 1.2 Billion in tax that we
ALREADY pay for water going? Is it going to local councils?
Is it going to Irish Water? Is it going towards the Govts
election budget giveaway fund?
NAMA, Siteserv, The Fennelly Report, Callinan .. the list
goes on
Fraud! Corruption! Embezzlement!
What else can we expect from a Govt that has lied,
renegued and whitewashed it's way through their term in
office and would make a South American Banana
republic's regime look legitimate!
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
On the 2nd of September, Irish Water held a secretive conference in
the Raddison Blu hotel in County Sligo. Irish Water senior executives
including John Tierney, county managers, senior water engineers
from both Irish Water, County Councils and which ironically included
a guest appearance by a privatised Scottish Water's head of asset
management,Geoff Aitkenhead.
This was a conference that was organised to discuss the "technical
aspects" of the future of Irish Water and how they can move forward
"now that the dust has settled " and "how we should learn from our
mistakes and move on" was a boldly written quote shown in a
presentation slide shown by a senior Irish Water executive at the
outset of the conference.
There was no mention of protesters protecting their own property,
no mention of people boycotting bills, no mention of Gardai being
used to enforce laws unconstitutionally, no mention of how much
more punishment Irish Water can take financially and no mention of
how a new government will deal with Irish Water. Why? Because
Irish Water believe that they are here to stay.
The nub of the conference was that everyone in attendance was to
wear rose tinted glasses and pretend that everything is good and
those nasty protestors and bill refuseniks will magically disappear of
their own accord but somehow still pay up. Even in the wine filled
after dinner glow, no one dared mention that Irish Water was in
trouble. Nope, the show must go on!
However and what made it interesting is that, it was re-affirmed that
Irish Water and the County Councils are in partnership for the next
12 years or so and that the Councils will continue to do the work
that they have being doing for the last 9 decades funded by central
government.
So that begs the following questions,

1. If the County Council's are going to continue fixing and upgrading

the water system then what is Irish Water's role in all of this?
2. Are they just performing a money collecting service as was
always suspected to be the case?
3. What logical reason would allow the County Councils (which are
already taxpayer funded) become contractors to a private company
in such a way that the taxpayer is actually adding a second layer of
funding to the Councils or is it that the County Councils are to work
on the water network and receive no income for doing so from
either the State or Irish Water?
4. Or would it be that the County Councils are still being paid from
the central exchequer to do the job they have historically done AND
that the income derived from water charges will go directly to Irish
Water to bump up the bank account in advance of perspective
purchasers?
Looks like someone doesn't want the party to end!

Democracy at work.. take note Enda Kenny, this is how it

works.. yet you continually ignore the will of the people
who you claim to serve, and who pay YOUR wages! We'll
see how much you ignore it after the election.. all your
bribes and offerings of 'jam tomorrow' don't cut it with us
anymore.. not after the 5 years of hell you've put this
country and it's people through just to line the pockets of
your billionaire friends, bankers and bondholders!
Cork City mayor Chris OLeary openly accepts the Peoples
Convention 22,000 signature petition to boycott Irish
Water

The disclosure comes amid increasing focus on the

performance of the board of the beleaguered utility
company, which is due to be replaced next month.
The Government pledged in 2011 that all state board
positions should be advertised and that members of the
public should be able to apply for them by expressing their
interest to the relevant department.
Streamlined
Since late last year the process has been streamlined and
applications can be submitted by the public via the
stateboards.ie website.
However, records released under the Freedom of
Information Act show that in practice this system was not
widely utilised.
Just two members of the 12 person Irish Water board were
selected after formally applying.

Eircom manager Billy Moore and IT company director

Sean Kelly both submitted expressions of interest to the
department before being appointed to the board.
None of the remaining board members, who are each
entitled to an annual fee of 15,000, went through the
same process and each was handpicked by Ervia, the
former Bord Gais, the records indicate.
Mr Kelly resigned from the board in June and later passed
away.
Mr Moore remains on the board.
Three members of the board were appointed as a result of
the positions they held in either Bord Gais or Irish Water.
These were Ervia chairperson Rose Hynes, Ervia chief
executive Michael McNicholas and Irish Water managing
director John Tierney.
The remaining board members appointed were Margaret
Rae, a research fellow at the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway,
Regina Finn, the former chief executive of English and
Welsh water regulator Ofwat, business consultant
Jacqueline Hall, former Dublin City Council senior
engineer Brian McKeown, real estate investor Coleman
Sheehy, solicitor Philip Lee and former Fine Gael
councillor Hilary Quinlan.
Ms Rae waived her director fees.
Mr Quinlan quit the post in September after it emerged he
was also working as a ministerial driver for junior
environment minister Paudie Coffey.
Mr Lee also stepped down from the board earlier this
month.
Irish Water declined to go into detail as to what criteria
was used by Ervia to select the board, but said the
appointments had been subject to the consent of former
Environment Minister Phil Hogan and former
Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte.
A spokeswoman said the Government would be appointing
the new board rather than Ervia, with the new members
set to be in place by the end of November. However, she
would not comment on whether any members of the

current board would be looking to stay on.

Calibre
Environment Minister Alan Kelly said last week he was
looking for "people of calibre and experience" to apply for
the positions on the new board.
Records released by his department show that of 196
appointments to state boards under its remit since the
Coalition came to power, just 33 came about after people
contacted the department to express an interest in the
position. Just two more were appointed after applying via
the website.
Some 103 of the board positions were restricted to
nominees of representative groups and other Government
bodies.
September 30, 2015

The mayor of Cork City has openly accepted a petition

reportedly containing 22,000 signatures calling for a boycott
of Irish Water.
The petition which signals the intent from the people of Cork
City was accepted by mayor and Sinn Fin TD Chris OLeary,
who told a delegation representing the Peoples Convention
that the signatures sent out a very strong message. Mr OLeary

also promised the delegation that he will try and give it to

Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dil sometime this week.
The petition has come after a lengthy battle by Peoples
Convention to get Cork City Council to accept it, the group
have restlessly protested at meetings of the Council over the
last number of months in order to get it accepted.

CONSOLIDATED VERSION
OF
THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION

v
v

Commission to bypass democracy

Article 218 of EU law, or as they say in Brussels,
Article 218 of the TFEU (Treaties on the Functioning
of the European Union) states:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=en
CETA would remain as binding international law for
three
years Article 30.8.4 of CETA).
Or, that CETA would apply in law in a provisional
manner only after the Council of Minsters votes to
approve it,
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2014/september/tradoc
_152806.pdf

The Referendum, the Courts and

Representative...

the Courts and Representative Democracy in Ireland ... 1986

referendum to legalize divorce was defeated. ... Article 50

https://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/undergraduate/module
outlines/js/irishpolitics/IrishPols/MacmillanPolStud92.pdf

Oireachtas inquiries
referendum rejected
Updated / Oct. 30, 2011 07:26

The referendum on Oireachtas inquiries has

been rejected by voters by a margin of more
than 100,000 votes.
Earlier, the referendum on judicial pay, which
proposed to allow Governments to reduce the
pay of judges in line with that of other public
servants, was passed by a four to one
margin.

The highest vote against the measure came

in Dublin South East, where 28.5% opposed
it; at the other end of the scale was Carlow
Kilkenny, where just 17.9% were against.
A close result had been expected in the vote
on Oireachtas inquiries; in the end there was
a margin of 116,000 votes, as the proposal
was defeated by 53.3% to 46.7%.

Only two constituencies supported the

proposal; the Taoiseach's Mayo base, with
50.4% in favour, and Wexford, the home of
sponsoring Minister Brendan Howlin, where
50.1% supported it.
The highest vote against was in Dublin South
East, where 62.9% were opposed.
In a statement Taoiseach Enda Kenny
welcomed the passing of the referendum on
judges' pay but said it was disappointing that
the amendment on Oireachtas inquiries was
defeated.
However he added that "the Constitution is

something that belongs to the people and we

acknowledge and accept the people's
democratic decision."
Mr Kenny said the Government will now
"reflect and carefully consider the outcome of
this referendum".
Meanwhile the Irish Council of Civil Liberties,
which campaigned against the amendment,
welcomed the result and said it looked
forward to participating in consultations on
future amendment proposals.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1029/308065-referendum/

Govt dealt huge blow as Oireachtas

inquiry referendum defeated
Saturday October 29th 2011

Government plans to give politicians radically beefed up

powers of investigation have been defeated, dealing a
huge blow to the coalition.
While a referendum to cut judges pay was supported, a
second vote on whether to allow the Oireachtas hold
major inquiries into matters of public importance was
rejected.
It had been opposed by eight former attorneys general.
Alan Shatter, the Justice Minister who championed the
defeated reform, denied he had been arrogant in
dismissing the advice of the leading lawyers.
When something goes wrong no-one is ever criticised,
everything comes down to systemic failure, he said.
The public voted the planned reform down 53% against.
Amid concerns that the proposed inquiries had the power
to infringe individual reputations, Mr Shatter had argued
adequate protections would be in place, including court

appeals.
Some groups claimed it would lead to a shift in power from
the courts to the Oireachtas as an institution, and
politicians.
There were also many reports nationwide of voter
confusion on polling day on Thursday and a lack of clarity
over the potential impact.
Government TDs also conceded that the focus on the
presidential campaign over the last month affected
communication and debate on the plans.
Mr Shatter said: The message is put out very clearly but
it depends on how much media coverage it gets. People
get their politics and information from current affairs
programmes and the broadcast media.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties opposed the reform.
The referendum on judges pay was passed by more than
one million votes, 79% in favour.
The Government will now be given the power to cut
judges salaries proportionately if and when public
servants pay is reduced in the public interest.
They will also be subject to the public pensions levy.
The second ballot on the Oireachtas inquiries narrowly
failed 928,175 votes against and 812,008 in favour.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gov
t-dealt-huge-blow-as-oireachtas-inquiry-referendumdefeated-526445.html

Electorate confusion not to blame for

defeat of inquiries referendum
Monday, October 31, 2011

By Conor OMahony

THE defeat of the 30th Amendment to the Constitution on

Oireachtas Inquiries has been greeted, perhaps
predictably, by comments from ministers Brendan Howlin
and Alan Shatter that the electorate was confused, and
perhaps even misinformed, about the proposal.
Whether or not this is true in the case of some voters,
attributing such a position to the electorate as a whole
does voters a grave disservice.
On the same day that the Irish people voted 80-20 to
accept one constitutional amendment, they voted 53-47 to
reject another. This suggests that they were well able to
distinguish between the two, and to decide for themselves
what they were willing to support and what they were not.
If voting No is a default position, as Mr Howlin
suggested, why then did the judges pay referendum pass
by a landslide? The count figures have a tale to tell here.
The margin of defeat on Oireachtas Inquiries was
remarkably consistent across the country. Only two
constituencies out of 43 Brendan Howlins Wexford and
Enda Kennys Mayo approved the amendment, and only
by the narrowest margins. Perhaps more interestingly,
there were 8,000 fewer valid ballots on Oireachtas
Inquiries than on judges pay, and 30,000 fewer than the
presidential election. This suggests a widespread reaction
of people who didnt understand the issue was to not vote
at all.
The rejection of the amendment cannot be explained by a
lack of understanding or misinformation; on the contrary,
it can be attributed to robust arguments put across by the
No campaign that it provided insufficient safeguards for
the constitutional rights of individuals subjected to
inquiries. Attempting to paint this as misinformation
conveniently suggests that there was nothing wrong with
the amendment, but such a view holds no water.
There is no comparison with the fictions that were
circulated about the Lisbon Treaty regarding issues such
as conscription. The No campaign was spearheaded by
professionals, academics and interest groups who were, in
fact, best placed to understand the implications of the
amendment. In the end, the people were more convinced
by their arguments than by the Governments.

Mr Howlin has complained that there was insufficient time

to rebut the concerns raised by the eight former Attorneys
General last Monday. This conveniently disregards the fact
that the same arguments were publicly aired almost a
month before the referendum by Gerry Whyte of Trinity
College on the Vincent Browne Show and by Donncha
OConnell of NUIG in the Irish Times. I debated the issue
with Mr Howlin on Newstalk Radio 10 days before the
attorneys general spoke publicly. The legitimate concern
about the exclusion of court supervision of the exercise of
powers of inquiry by politicians cannot be said to have
been sprung at the last minute; the issue was not new,
either to the national media or to Mr Howlin himself.
Mr Shatter has complained that the No campaign
presumed bad faith on the part of politicians, but this
misses the point of having judicially enforceable
constitutional rights in the first place. Such a system does
not presume that politicians always act in bad faith it
guards against the possibility that in the long run, a
minority of politicians might act in bad faith, or
unintentionally disregard the rights of individuals while
acting in good faith. Constitutional provisions need to be
designed not with the best type of politician in mind, but
the worst. Given events of the past decade is it any
surprise that public trust of politicians is rather shaky at
present?
Some public commentary has suggested that the
opposition came largely from lawyers who wanted to keep
the spoils of the old tribunal system to themselves, or
from former attorneys general who might have much to
fear from future inquiries. This view disregards the level of
opposition coming from academics and from the Irish
Council for Civil Liberties, neither of whom have anything
to fear from future inquiries, and who never have had (and
never will have) anything to gain from expensive tribunals.
Even if there really was insufficient opportunity to inform
voters of the reasons to vote Yes or to rebut the
arguments for voting No, the Government have only
themselves to blame. Mr Howlin has been at pains to
stress that this amendment has not been picked out of
thin air, and that work on it has been ongoing for a year
yet few people heard of it until very recently. Moreover,

the proposal leapfrogged other amendments, such as the

constitutional amendment on children, which was first
proposed 18 years ago and has been under active
development for almost five years, but on which a final
wording has yet to be agreed. It is impossible to escape
the impression that the inquiries referendum was rushed,
and that its timing, alongside the Presidential election,
was poorly judged (a point conceded by Minister for
Communications Pat Rabbitte before the referendum).
The fact remains that the majority of vocal opponents of
the amendment were not opposed in principle to
Oireachtas inquiries; their opposition was to an
amendment which was worded in such a way as to limit
the possibility of judicial supervision of such Inquiries. As
one individual wrote on Twitter on Saturday night, this was
not a vote against political reform, but a vote in favour of
proper political reform.
Mr Howlin has already suggested that he remains
committed to establishing a system of Oireachtas
Inquiries, which means he may well try again on this issue.
If he is to succeed, he would do well to listen carefully to
an electorate who made a decision that was not based on
misunderstanding or misinformation. This means adjusting
the wording of the amendment to leave no doubt that
individuals whose rights are trampled by Oireachtas
inquiries can seek the vindication of those rights in the
courts.
* Dr Conor OMahony lectures in constitutional law at
University College Cork.
Contrary to what some suggest, we had a good
public debate on judicial pay issue
IRRESPECTIVE of whether we supported or opposed the
referendums on judicial remuneration and Oireachtas
inquiries, we can all derive some satisfaction from the high
voter turnout and from the level of discernment shown by
voters in expressing their preferences. Holding a
contentious constitutional referendum on the same day as
an election carries the risk that the proposed amendment
will receive inadequate attention, but it also means that
far more people are likely to vote.
There was a turnout of less than 30% in the bail
referendum in 1996. The referendum on cabinet

confidentiality in 1997 might have attracted even less

interest had it not been held on the same day as the
presidential election (with a turnout of 47%). This time
round there was a turnout of 56%.
On Friday last, it was reported that many voters had
refused to accept the referendum ballot papers because
they did not understand the issues. But it now appears
that less than 5,000 people who voted in the presidential
election declined to vote in the referendums. This was a
rather insignificant number which clearly did not affect the
outcome. Had there been the lack of public understanding
that many have alleged, one might have expected roughly
the same numbers to have voted for and against both
amendments. In fact the electorate showed far more
discernment by voting overwhelmingly in favour of the
judicial remuneration amendment and rejecting the
Oireachtas inquiries amendment by a narrow majority.
Contrary to what some have suggested, we had a
reasonably good public debate on the judicial
remuneration amendment in particular. This was not an
issue which affected the vast majority of people in any
material way, and so it was never likely to generate much
interest or enthusiasm. Those of us who opposed it did not
object to judges salaries being cut; on the contrary we
accepted that they should be subject to the same
reductions as those imposed on other public servants. Our
concern was with the third sub-paragraph of the
amendment which allows the Oireachtas (and, in effect
the Government) to reduce judicial pay whenever
reductions are made by law in the pay of classes of
persons whose remuneration is paid out of public money.
We would have preferred if provision were made to have
adjustments to judicial salaries determined by an
independent body so as to avoid any perception that the
institutional independence of the judiciary was being
eroded by allocating this power directly to the political
branches of government. The amendment as finally
adopted does, admittedly, provide that any reduction
must be proportionate to that applied elsewhere in the
public sector and this was certainly an improvement.
Hopefully, the economy will improve or at least stabilise to
the extent that it will never be necessary to implement

this provision more than once. In any event, the

amendment as adopted does nothing to prevent future
governments from appointing an independent advisory
body to make recommendations on judicial salaries even if
the final decision must rest with parliament.
The Oireachtas inquiries amendment raised deep and
important questions about the procedural rights of
persons who might find themselves under investigation.
Like the judicial salaries amendment, it had some positive
elements. An effective system of parliamentary
investigation is essential to a well-functioning democracy,
and is much more cost-effective than tribunals. Never
again must we allow a legal leviathan like the Moriarty or
Mahon tribunal to rise up in this country. However, people
were rightly concerned about the breadth of the
investigatory powers which the wording of this
amendment seemed to vest in members of the
Oireachtas.
This is a matter which can be put to a referendum again,
though next time round the amendment must afford
better protection for the due process rights of those under
investigation. I have some sympathy with the Government
in its efforts to achieve the correct balance. Certainly we
want to ensure that persons called before parliamentary
inquiries can invoke the protection of the courts when they
feel justifiably aggrieved. On the other hand, we want to
avoid a situation in which such persons can run to the
High Court to seek judicial review as soon as they are
asked an awkward question. Having said this, any new
version of the amendment must include more explicit and
effective safeguards for the personal privacy and
reputation of anyone subject to a parliamentary
investigation.
There may be a lesson here for those who are charged
with running the constitutional convention which we are
promised next year. From time to time, the need to amend
specific provisions of the Constitution will become clear.
That is currently true, for example, in relation to childrens
rights. But there is also a great value in constitutional
stability. Overall, our present Constitution has served us
well. The promised convention should require clear and
convincing proof of the need for any change which it

recommends.
In fact, I am far from convinced of the need for a
convention at all.
* Tom OMalley is a barrister and senior lecturer in law, NUI
Galway.
Public trust has been badly shaken by these
proposals ... it need not have been so
LAST Thursday, 928,175 voters decided not to support the
Governments proposals to amend the Constitution to give
increased powers to Oireachtas committees, producing a
winning margin for the no campaign of more than 100,000
votes.
Barely had the results been announced before the political
recriminations began. The Justice Minister, Alan Shatter,
pointed sideways at the Public Expenditure and Reform
Minister, Brendan Howlin, who in turn suggested that the
independent judge who chaired the Referendum
Commission might be to blame for the Governments
defeat.
There was a wide consensus among politicians of all the
parties that had rushed these proposals through the
Oireachtas in less than a week that they couldnt possibly
be responsible for their failure to capture the publics
imagination.
Even in the face of the clearest possible popular verdict by
nearly a million people, it seems that many of our
politicians are still unprepared to countenance the
possibility that the Irish electorate could clearly distinguish
between two different referendum proposals, heavily
supporting one and clearly rejecting the other.
As former attorney general Michael McDowell put it during
an interview on Today FM yesterday, people who
underestimate the intelligence and the discernment of the
Irish electorate do so at their peril.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Association,
which led the no campaign, believes that a great many
people who voted against the 30th amendment
understood perfectly well what the Government was
proposing: that a yes win would have given Oireachtas
committees the power themselves to determine the
fairness of the procedures to apply to people appearing
before them. And that, as Judge Brian McMahon of the

Referendum Commission put it, it is not possible to state

definitively what role, if any, the courts would have in
reviewing the procedures adopted by the Houses.
The ICCL welcomes the no vote, but takes no pleasure in
it. There is a clear need to reform the operation of our
Oireachtas committees, but that must be done in a way
that strikes the right balance between the public interest
and the human rights of people who appear before them.
Public trust in the political establishment has been shaken
by the 30th amendment proposals and this will make it
harder for the Government to introduce reforms that are
necessary within a reasonable timeframe.
It need not have been so.
In January this year, the report of an Oireachtas committee
on which senior Fine Gael and Labour politicians served
recommended wording for a constitutional amendment
that would have protected rights to a far greater extent
than the text that the Government chose to put before the
people.
Political heavyweights such as Fine Gaels Charlie
Flanagan and Senator Eugene Regan, as well as Labours
Brendan Howlin and Alex White served on the committee,
which was chaired by former Fianna Fil TD Sean Ardagh.
The wording that they recommended would have required
the balance between rights of people appearing before
Oireachtas committees and the public interest to be
regulated by law rather than leaving it to the unfettered
discretion of Oireachtas members.
It is not easy to understand why the Coalition chose to
delete this reference to the rule of law from the wording
that it decided to put to the people. Perhaps, rather than
resorting to blaming each other and/or the Referendum
Commission for the verdict of the voting public, Oireachtas
members might begin to inquire into this?
The Irish electorate has made clear that it will not be
bounced into agreeing to a profound shift in power from
an independent judiciary to a partisan Oireachtas without
mature consideration and profound debate. The
Constitutional Convention that the Government proposes
to establish next year could provide an appropriate forum
in which to thrash out a new model for Oireachtas
inquiries.

The ICCL looks forward to working with the Government, in

a constructive fashion, to help to craft inquiry proposals
that will empower Oireachtas committees in a way that
respects the rule of law.
Mark Kelly is the director of the Irish Council for Liberties
Association and director of the No campaign.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/electorateconfusion-not-to-blame-for-defeat-of-inquiriesreferendum-172338.html

Irish vote to reject

inquiries amendment
2

31 October 2011From the section Europe

A proposed amendment offering the Irish parliament

more powers to set up inquiries into matters of public
importance has been rejected by voters.
The referendum on Houses of the Oireachtas inquiries
was rejected by a majority of more than 116,000 votes.
Voters going to the polls to choose a new Irish president
last Thursday, were also asked to vote on the amendment.
A second proposed amendment on reducing judges' pay
passed easily.
In a statement, the Irish government said it welcomed the
passing of the 29th amendment on judges' pay.

However, it said it was "disappointing" the 30th

amendment on Oireachtas inquiries had been "narrowly
defeated".
Reflection
The government said it accepted the people's decision
and would "reflect and carefully consider" the vote
outcome.
The result on the Oireachtas Inquiries came as a blow to
the government, which was seeking to overturn a High
Court judgement made in 2000 which stopped an
Oireachtas inquiry into the fatal shooting of John Carthy at
Abbeylara, County Longford, during a stand-off with Irish
police.
A total of 1,785,208 people voted on the amendment with
928,175 voting against and 812,008 voting in favour - a
majority of 116,167.
Some 5,000 people who voted on the presidential election
decided not to vote on the amendment.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-15520723

Why Im Voting No in the

Oireachtas Inquiry Referendum
Published on October 17, 2011 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments
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Obviously as a candidate in the Dublin West by-election, my focus

has been on my own campaign, to the neglect of the Presidency and
the two constitutional referenda. It was only as I was sitting down to
prepared some lecture notes for my 1 st Year Constitutional Law class
on the role of the Oireachtas that I had a chance to fully consider
the implications of the Oireachtas Inquiry vote.

The amendment arises primarily as a response to the Abbeylara

judgment of the Supreme Court in 2002. This case put significant
limitations on the type of inquiries that either House of the
Oireachtas could undertake. In particular, the Court determined that
an Oireachtas inquiry could not make findings of fact regarding the
culpability of an individual for actions they committed.
The Government has responded by proposing inserting 3 new
subsections into Article 15.10 of the Constitution.
The new Art 15.10.2 creates a power for either or both Houses of
the Oireachtas to undertake an inquiry into any matters considered
by them to be of general public importance.
The new Art 15.10.3 says that as part of these inquiries, the conduct
of individuals can be investigated and that the House/s can make
findings of fact regarding their conduct.
The new Art 15.10.4 says that the House/s concerned will determine
the correct balance between the rights of persons and the public
interest for the purposes of ensuring an effective investigation. Such
a determination will be done with due regard to the principles of fair
procedures.
I would agree that aspects of the Abbeylara decision need to be
overturned. But Ill be voting No to this amendment, for three main
reasons outlined below:
A) The new Art 15.10.4 is of major concern. It allows the
TDs/Senators to determine the procedural rights (right to hear
evidence against you, right to question someone who gave evidence
against you, right to respond) of persons before such inquiries. And
unlike the law as it currently stands, the Courts power to intervene
if TDs/Senators limit individuals procedural rights has been
significantly lessened.
B) The new Art 15.10.4 is vague on how the TDs/Senators will
decide what procedural rights individuals before the inquiries
receive. Will these be set out in legislation, or will these be devised
by each separate committee of inquiry as they go along. If it is the
latter, different people coming before different inquiries may end up
with different rights. I am concerned that there is a risk that the
standard of rights may vary accordingly to how politically
controversial the issue before the inquiry is.
C) On a wider point, there has been virtually no debate on the
implications of these amendments. The degree of public attention
focused on the Presidency has meant that these significant changes
to the Constitution, giving TDs/Senators new and potentially
unsupervised powers, have not been brought to the public attention.
The Government has promised a Constitutional Convention to look
at the Constitution and see what articles need to be revised. A
change as big as the one being proposed here should be left to be
discussed in that forum.
TDs and Senators should have the power to mount inquires, but we
also need to acknowledge that politicians may use these inquiries
for political gain. When we remove or limit the ability of the Courts

to scrutinise the actions of the politicians undertaking such

inquiries, we open the process up to abuse.
I urge people to Vote No to the amendment on 27 th October and let
the Government refer the issue back to the Constitutional
Convention it has committed to holding. The Irish public deserve a
full debate on such major change.
[For other takes on the proposed amendment, read Eoin Daly,
Donnacha OConnell and report by Carol Coulter.]

http://rodericogorman.com/?p=1434

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS (POWERS OF INQUIRY)

BILL 2011

http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2011/09/20110912headsofbill.
pdf
"Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Houses of the Oireachtas
Inquiries) Bill 2011 as initiated and Explanatory Memorandum" (PDF).
Bills 1997 2011. Oireachtas. Retrieved 12 September 2011

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/b4711d.pdf

Referendum on inquiries
by the Oireachtas
INTRO ENDS
COLUMNS CONTAINER ENDS

This referendum proposes to give the Houses of the Oireachtas (the Dil and
Seanad) express power to conduct inquiries into matters of general public
importance and, in doing so, to make findings of fact about any persons
conduct.
At present, the Constitution does not give power to the Houses of the
Oireachtas to conduct such inquiries. The proposed change to the
Constitution would mean that
1 The Dil and the Seanad, either separately or
together, would have the power to conduct an
inquiry into any matter that either or both consider
to be a matter of general public importance.
Legislation would be required to be introduced to
set out the details of how such inquiries would
take place.
2 When conducting any such inquiry, either or both
Houses would have the power to inquire into the
conduct of any person and the power to make
relevant findings about that persons conduct.

3 The Dil and/or the Seanad would have the power

to determine the appropriate balance between the
rights of people involved in any such inquiry and
the requirements of the public interest. When
doing so, they would be obliged to have regard to
the principles of fair procedures. These principles
have been established by the Constitution and by
the Courts.

Proposed amendment Oireachtas inquiries

At present, Article 15.10 states:

Each House shall make its own rules and standing orders, with power to
attach penalties for their infringement, and shall have power to ensure
freedom of debate, to protect its official documents and the private papers of
its members, and to protect itself and its members against any person or
persons interfering with, molesting or attempting to corrupt its members in the
exercise of their duties.
It is proposed to renumber this as 15.10.1 and to insert the following
subsections:
2 Each House shall have the power to conduct an inquiry, or an inquiry with
the other House, in a manner provided for by law, into any matter stated by the
House or Houses concerned to be of general public importance.
3 In the course of any such inquiry the conduct of any person (whether or not
a member of either House) may be investigated and the House or Houses
concerned may make findings in respect of the conduct of that person
concerning the matter to which the inquiry relates.
4 It shall be for the House or Houses concerned to determine, with due
regard to the principles of fair procedures, the appropriate balance between
the rights of persons and the public interest for the purposes of ensuring an
effective inquiry into any matter to which subsection 2 applies.

The powers of the

Oireachtas

INTRO ENDS
COLUMNS CONTAINER ENDS
The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of Ireland. It consists of the

President and two Houses the Dil and the Seanad.

Under Article 15 of the Constitution, the Oireachtas already has a range of
powers, the most important of which are the sole and exclusive power to make
laws for the State and the power to raise and maintain military or armed
forces. The Constitution does not, in Article 15 or anywhere else, give the
Oireachtas a general power to conduct inquiries. However, that does not
necessarily mean that the Oireachtas cannot hold inquiries and/or be
authorised to do so by legislation. There is no doubt that each House of the
Oireachtas has the power to inquire into the conduct of its own members and
to impose sanctions on those members in certain cases.
The Houses of the Oireachtas also have a specific constitutional role in
inquiring into the conduct of the President and of judges if specified
circumstances require this. It is also generally accepted that the Houses of the
Oireachtas may conduct inquiries in connection with their legislative functions,
provided that such inquiries do not involve the making of findings of fact which
are adverse to the good name of people who are not members of the
Oireachtas.
In what is generally known as the Abbeylara decision, the Supreme Court
decided that the Houses of the Oireachtas did not have the power to conduct
an inquiry where the inquiry could lead to findings of fact and conclusions
which could affect the good name of any person who was not a member of
either House of the Oireachtas.

The Abbeylara case

INTRO ENDS
COLUMNS CONTAINER ENDS
The power of the Houses of the Oireachtas to conduct inquiries was
considered by the Supreme Court in the case of Maguire v Ardagh (1),
generally known as the Abbeylara case. A Sub-committee of the Houses of
the Oireachtas started an inquiry into an incident that occurred in Abbeylara
during which a man was shot dead by Garda.
The Garda involved were compelled to appear before and give evidence to
the Sub-committee. The Sub-committee proceeded on the basis that it could
make findings as to the causes of the incident and, if in its view this was
warranted by the evidence, as to whether or not individual Gardai were
responsible for the death.
The judgments in Abbeylara are lengthy and complex. In essence, the
Supreme Court held that the Houses of the Oireachtas do not have an
inherent power to conduct inquiries which involve requiring witnesses to

attend to give evidence and to produce documents and which may make
findings which adversely affect the good name of any person (other than a
member of the Dil or Seanad). An inherent power is a power that does not
need to be expressly stated but is an integral feature of the nature and
functions of either House.
As they do not have inherent power, power must be conferred on them by the
Constitution or by legislation before they can conduct such an inquiry. There is
no specific power granted by the Constitution. Whether such a power to
conduct an inquiry could be conferred on the Houses of the Oireachtas by
legislation was left open by the Supreme Court.
If the proposed amendment is approved, an inquiry conducted by either or
both Houses of the Oireachtas would have the power to make a finding that a
person had, for example, behaved in a corrupt manner or been responsible for
the unlawful killing of another person. The only limitation on the findings that
may be made are that they must concern the matter to which the inquiry
relates.
Such a finding would, however, be different from any decisions made by a
court of law about a persons conduct. A decision that a person has committed
a crime and is to be imprisoned and/or fined can be made only by a court. A
decision by an Oireachtas inquiry that a person had, for example, unlawfully
killed another person could not, on that determination alone, result in that
person being imprisoned and/or fined. The Houses of the Oireachtas would
not have the power to apply a criminal sanction to the person concerned.
Similarly, a decision that a person is responsible for a civil wrong, for example,
that the person defamed another, and should pay compensation, can also be
made only by a court. An Oireachtas inquiry could not make an award of
damages, nevertheless, such a finding could clearly affect that persons good
name, a right which is specifically protected by the Constitution

Campaign launch: press release

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Main points of judges pay and Oireachtas inquiries referendums
explained
Tuesday 11th October 2011: The Referendum Commission has today
launched its public information campaign designed to explain the referendum
proposals on judges pay and Oireachtas inquiries in advance of polling on
October 27th.
Speaking at the launch, the Chairperson of the Referendum Commission, Dr

Bryan McMahon, said, The referendums are on two separate proposals to

make two distinct changes to the Constitution. The first is on whether the pay
of judges can be reduced in certain circumstances. The second proposes to
give the Houses of the Oireachtas express power to conduct inquiries into
matters of general public importance and, in doing so, to make findings of fact
about any persons conduct.
He said the proposals could be explained briefly as follows.
If the referendum on judges pay is passed, the proposed change to the
Constitution would
allow for a law to be passed reducing the pay of judges proportionately if the
pay of public servants is being or has been reduced and that reduction is
stated to be in the public interest. At present the Constitution does not allow
for the reduction of the remuneration of sitting judges.
allow for a law to be passed making judges subject to the Public Service
Pension Levy and to any other future similar charge or charges. At present,
judges pay tax and the Universal Social Charge is the same way as everyone
else. They are not legally obliged to pay the Public Service Pension Levy
although they can voluntarily make an equivalent contribution.
The referendum on Oireachtas Inquiries proposes to give the Houses of the
Oireachtas (the Dil and Seanad) express power to conduct inquiries into
matters of general public importance and, in doing so, to make findings of fact
about any persons conduct.
At present, the Constitution does not give power to the Houses of the
Oireachtas to conduct such inquiries. The proposed change to the
Constitution would mean that
1. The Dil and the Seanad, either separately or together, would have the
power to conduct an inquiry into any matter that either or both consider to be a
matter of general public importance. Legislation would be required to be
introduced to set out the details of how such inquiries would take place.
2. When conducting any such inquiry, either or both Houses would have the
power to inquire into the conduct of any person and the power to make
relevant findings about that persons conduct.
3. The Dil and/or the Seanad would have the power to determine the
appropriate balance between the rights of people involved in any such inquiry
and the requirements of the public interest. When doing so, they would be
obliged to have regard to the principles of fair procedures. These principles
have been established by the Constitution and by the Courts.
The Commission has produced more detailed information for those who wish
to know more about the proposed changes. This is available online at
www.referendum2011.ie. The Commission has a public information phone line

at 1890 270970.
Our role is to explain the proposals in general terms, said Dr McMahon.
Others will seek to persuade you to vote yes or to vote no to each of the
proposals. You should listen to the debate and then make up your own mind
on how you wish to vote.
Nationwide distribution of the Commissions Guide to the referendums to two
million homes began yesterday and will take ten days to complete. This guide
highlights the main points of the referendums in a simple way. It gives the
current wording of the relevant parts of the Constitution, and the proposed
new wordings. The other elements of the Commissions public information
campaign have also begun with advertising appearing on radio, television, in
newspapers and online giving brief explanations of the proposals.
In concluding remarks Dr McMahon said: We would urge all voters to read
the Guide which will be delivered to their homes over the next ten days.
These are entirely separate proposals, and you can take a different view on
each if that is what you decide. The most important thing is to inform yourself
and then use your vote. The Constitution is important, it was enacted by a
vote of the Irish people in 1937 and can only be changed if the Irish people
vote to change it.
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Campaign launch: remarks by Chairman

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Tuesday 11th October 2011
Opening remarks by Dr Bryan McMahon, Chairperson of Referendum
Commission
I want to give you details of the Referendum Commissions public information
campaign on the forthcoming referendums on October 27th and I will take
some questions afterwards.
Im Bryan McMahon, the Chairperson of the Referendum Commission. The
other members of the Commission here today are the Ombudsman Emily
OReilly, the Clerk of the Seanad Deirdre Lane, the Clerk of the Dil Kieran
Coughlan and the Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley. As you
know the Commission is an independent body established by law to explain
referendum proposals and to encourage people to vote.
Firstly, let me state simply what the two referendum proposals are about.
The first is about whether the pay of judges can be reduced in certain

circumstances. At present the Constitution does not allow for the reduction of
the remuneration of sitting judges. The proposed change to the Constitution
would allow for a law to be passed reducing the pay of judges proportionately
if the pay of others being paid out of public money is being or has been
reduced and that reduction is stated to be in the public interest.
Now let me refer to the second referendum proposal which concerns
Oireachtas inquiries. This referendum proposes to give the Houses of the
Oireachtas, or either one of them, express power to conduct inquiries into
matters of general public importance and, in doing so, to make findings of fact
about any persons conduct.
At present, the Constitution does not give express power to the Houses of the
Oireachtas to conduct such inquiries. The proposed change would mean that:
The Dil and the Seanad, either separately or together, would have the power
to conduct an inquiry into any matter that either or both consider to be a
matter of general public importance. Legislation would be required to be
introduced to set out the details of how such inquiries would take place.
When conducting any such inquiry, either or both Houses would have the
power to inquire into the conduct of any person and the power to make
relevant findings about that persons conduct.
The Dil and/or the Seanad would have the power to determine the
appropriate balance between the rights of people involved in any such inquiry
and the requirements of the public interest. When doing so, they would be
obliged to have regard for the principles of fair procedures. These principles
have been established by the Constitution and by the Courts.
I want to emphasise that our role as defined by law is to explain the
referendum proposals rather than comment on claims being made about the
consequences of a Yes or No vote on either of them. Between now and
October 27th you will hear people arguing on each side of the debate as to
the consequences of a yes or a no vote. The Referendum Commission would
urge you to listen to the debate and make up your mind on how you want to
vote.
To help voters, we are distributing a factual guide on the proposals to 2 million
houses in the State, and this distribution started yesterday. Distribution will
take about ten days. This guide aims to describe the proposals as clearly as
possible.
We have also produced more detailed background information which is
available on our website referendum2011.ie. We have an information phone
line 1890 270970.
We will be running an extensive advertising campaign in all media seeking to
explain the proposals and this began yesterday on radio and television, in

newspapers and online.

Our central message is this. Read the Guide, inform yourself, and when you
go to vote to choose the next President on October 27th, have your say in
these proposed Constitutional amendments. The Constitution was enacted by
a vote of the Irish people, and only the Irish people can change it by way of a
referendum. It is an important power and we should all exercise it.
I am happy to take questions on our campaign, and the main points of the
proposals. If anyone has a question on specific detail which requires some
legal parsing and analysis we will come back to you afterwards with a
Referendum Commission response.
As David said, I think it makes sense to take questions to group questions
relating to each referendum so perhaps I could answer some questions
relating to the judges pay referendum first, then the Oireachtas inquiries
referendum, and then if you have any general questions about the conduct of
our campaign Id be happy to take them too.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120403000107/http://www.ref
erendum2011.ie/

Approval of bodies in relation to Referendums

Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the constitution (Judges Remuneration)

Bill 2011
Thirtieth Amendment of the constitution (Houses of the Oireachtas
inquiries) Bill 2011
A body may apply to the Referendum Commission to be an approved body for
the purposes of the referendums which will be held on 27 October 2011.
Approved bodies may appoint agents to attend at the issue and opening of
postal voters ballot papers, at polling stations and at the count.
In order to become an approved body, an applicant must:
be having a membership of not less than 300;
have an interest in the referendum and have a name which does not
closely resemble the name of a political party registered in the Register of
Political Parties;
Applications must be made on the official form which can be download from
here
More detailed information on the requirements can be downloaded from here
The closing date for receipt of applciations is 12 noon on 7 October 2011

https://web.archive.org/web/20120425215931/http://www.ref
erendum2011.ie/approvedbodies
International and European Law 2053-5341 Ubiquity Press
10.5334/ujiel.dh Research article Tracing the Scope of

Religious Exemptions under National and EU Law: Section

37(1) of the Irish Employment Equality Acts 19982011
and Irelands Obligations Under the EU Framework
Directive on Employment and Occupation, Directive
2000/78/EC Dunne Amy External PhD Candidate in
International Antitrust Law, Leiden University (the
Netherlands). 14 08 2015 31 81 33 45 Copyright: 2015
The Author(s) 2015 This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY 3.0), which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author and source are
credited. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
This submission traces the scope of the religious
exemptions for religious organisation both under the Irish
Employment Equality Acts 19982011 at national level and
under the EU Framework Directive on Employment and
Occupation, Directive 2000/78/EC of November 2000, at
EU level. It will be demonstrated that the Irish religious
exemptions are broader in scope than those at EU level
and therefore constitute a severe limitation on the
equality rights of Irish citizens falling within protected
grounds of non-discrimination other than religion or belief
under the EU Employment Equality Directive. Special
regard is had to the limitation of the rights of Irish citizens
falling within the protected ground of non-discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation. It is considered
whether, by allowing overly broad exemptions to subsist
beyond the exigencies of a strict proportionality test, the
Irish State is in effect giving efficacy to the typified
intolerance between religions organisations and the LGBT
community and in so doing, contributing to the
perpetuation of these intolerances in Irish society rather
than their erosion. EU employment equality Irish
Employment Acts Directive 2000/78/EC Religious
exemptions Organisations Is it the tolerant person who
discovers the limits of her tolerance or is it the intolerant
one who labels everything that does not match his or her
convictions as intolerable?1 I. Introduction It is contended
that a hidden intolerance1 is latent in the overly broad
exemptions reserved to religious organisations under Irish
employment equality legislation, which serves to insulate

these organisations from the generally applicable EU

grounds of non-discrimination. The overly broad
interpretation of the religious exemptions provided for in
the EU Framework Directive on Employment and
Occupation2 is partly attributed to the seemingly wide
latitude within the Directive afforded to national practices
and constitutional principles. It will be argued in this
submission that the Irish Government has exhausted this
latitude far beyond its reasonable construction. Further, it
is questioned whether the exhaustion of this latitude in
the form of overly broad exemptions afforded to religious
organisations is readily reconcilable with the States own
self-professed commitment to equality and freedom of
religion in its constitutional provisions and case-law. At a
more basic level, this paper seeks to establish that the
Irish legislator has failed to comply with even the
unambiguous obligations of the Employment Equality
Directive. This is evident in circumstances in which
derogations from the Employment Equality Directive are
expressly prohibited on the basis of national practice or
constitutional provisions. It will be seen in this regard that
nuances apparent from the explicit text of the
Employment Equality Directive have failed to be
incorporated into the Irish Employment Equality Acts.
Conversely, in other instances, derogations have been
granted to religious organisations contrary to the explicit
obligations of the Directive. Without the incorporation of
these delimiting nuances, the Irish Employment Equality
Acts when applied serve to rescind the protections
afforded to Irish citizens falling within the other grounds of
non-discrimination of the Employment Equality Directive.
The incongruity between the Employment Equality
Directive and the Irish Equality Acts, aside from
circumstances in which the Directive permits a
consideration of national practices and constitutional
provisions, culminates in a contravention of the EU
obligations prescribed upon the Irish State and serves to
defeat the spirit of the Employment Equality Directive
overall. The starting point for this submission is the
initiatives undertaken by one of the Irish houses of
Parliament, Seanad ireann, to reform the system of
legislative exemptions for religious institutions as

stipulated by section 37(1) of the Employment Equality

Acts.3 Reforms to section 37(1) have been proposed in the
Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 20124 and under
a second, Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill
2013.5 The religious exemptions provided for in section
37(1) of the Irish Equality Acts and the proposed
legislative amendments will be analysed in the context of
the obligations of the Irish State under EU law in the
Employment Equality Directive, which establishes a
general framework for equal treatment in employment
and occupation. Through following the legislative evolution
of the Irish Equality Acts, it is submitted that it is the
enlarged scope of the religious exemption, as opposed to
the existence of an exemption in Irish employment
equality, which hinders the effective transposition of the
Employment Equality Directive. At this juncture, it is
acknowledged that the Irish State has a long tradition in
the provision of religious exemptions to religious belief
systems in order to preserve the life and reality6 of
these beliefs systems. Therefore, it must be understood
that the Employment Equality Directive cannot be credited
with introducing these novel conceptions of religious
exemptions into Irish law. In fact, Article 44 of the Irish
Constitution, Bunreacht na hireann, which guarantees
the freedom of religion, was included in the 1937
constitutional text to facilitate religious pluralism in
furtherance of the States obligations under the Anglo-Irish
Treaty of 1921. It was thought that Article 44 would avoid
the establishment or the preference for any religious
denomination which would have the undesirable
consequence of a bigger breach between North and
South.7 The discrepancies between the Employment
Equality Directive and the Irish Equality Acts therefore do
not hinge on the provision of a religious exemption but
rather on the difference in the scope of the religious
exemption afforded to religious organisations under each
respective body of legislation. Therefore, in the analysis
hereunder, as per Sandberg and Doe, the consideration is
not whether there ought to be a religious exemption but
rather [what is] the scope of the exemption.8 The present
analysis has been sparked by the traction gained by the
civil rights movement of the LGBT community in Ireland

and the social evolution in Irish society to renounce the

systemic exclusion of the LGBT community from public life
generally. Following on from the introduction of a statutory
civil partnership registration scheme for same-sex couples
in January 2011 under the Civil Partnership and Certain
Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, calls for
the amendment of section 37(1) of the Irish Employment
Acts came to the fore. In the intervening period, the
Gender Recognition Bill 2014 was passed in Seanad
ireann on the 11th March 2015.9 This Bill seeks to grant
formal legal status to transgender Irish citizens. It is noted
that at present Ireland is the only EU Member State that
does not permit legal recognition of its transgender
citizens.10 At the time of writing, the Irish public are due
to vote in the constitutional referendum of the 22nd May
2015 on the Thirty-Fourth Amendment of the Constitution
on Marriage Equality to Article 41 of the Constitution. It
will be decided whether the additional wording; marriage
may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons
without distinction as to their sex11 will be added as
Article 41.4, and by consequence whether LGBT citizens
may contract marriage and avail of the accompanying
constitutional protections in that regard. These LGBT civil
rights developments have therefore motivated a renewed
discussion of the religious exemption afforded to religious
organisations under Irish law, which curtail the
employment equality rights of Irish LGBT citizens. It is
noted that calls for the amendment of section 31(1) have
also arisen from other civil rights groups and international
organisations. Atheist civil groups in Ireland have
protested against the continued application of the
religious exemptions in their current conception as they
serve to accord a more favourable and protected status to
traditional belief systems as opposed to non-belief
system.12 Ireland has also been subject to international
pressure calling for the reform of section 37(1). Most
recently, the UN Human Rights Committee criticized
section 37(1) at Irelands fourth periodic examination in
July 2014, during which it was recommended that this
section at a minimum, [] be repealed to prohibit
discrimination against persons in relation to one or more
of the nine grounds covered under the legislation. [] It

should be replaced by new wording that complies with

Article 4 of the European Union Framework Directive.13
The LGBT civil rights movement has in its activism
highlighted the clash between two protected grounds of
non-discrimination in Irish legislation: the religion or belief
ground and the sexual orientation ground. However, it is
necessary to see this in the context that clashes between
fundamental rights and equality rights are germane to the
European continent as a whole and do not relate
exclusively to these selected grounds. In fact, the
propensity for clashes to occur between any and each of
the protected grounds has increased given that the
catalogue of legally protected fundamental rights has
grown incessantly.14 However, clashes between the nondiscrimination grounds of religion and sexual orientation
have given rise to particularised tensions. It is further
acknowledged that there is the potential for clashes of
fundamental rights and equality rights to be exaggerated
for ideological purposes. Therefore, in order to escape a
highly normative and politicized discussion, this analysis
does not hang on the crux of the ideological clash
between these particular non-discrimination grounds.
Rather, emphasis is placed on the scope of the
exemptions afforded to religious organisations and the
equity of the balance that should be achieved between
competing rights. As to methodology, the paradoxical
relationship between religious exemptions, which may
serve to foster both tolerance for the manifestation of
religious belief and simultaneously foster intolerance for
the lifestyle of those individuals falling within the
protected categories of non-discrimination, is set out
hereunder. Thereafter, a consideration of the legislative
evolution of the Irish Equality Acts is undertaken. Firstly,
the fissure between the current Irish Equality Acts and the
Employment Equality Directive is identified. Secondly, it
will be analysed whether the first or second amendment
Bills contribute to breaching this gap in line with the
States obligations under EU law. Finally, comments are
made as to the consequences of the continued
misapplication of the Employment Equality Directive in
Irish law and a limited discussion of the latitude afforded
to constitutional provisions and nationals practices is

entertained before concluding remarks are set out. II. Part

A A. Religious Exemptions Religious exemptions in pluralist
democracies, although a challenge to the existing antidiscrimination paradigm,15 are indispensable to the
preservation of religious plurality. Tolerance, particularly
when plurality means that society will comprise of persons
unable to comply with certain laws for religious reasons, is
expressed through the granting of exemptions from laws
which would force a practitioner to violate their mandated
beliefs. Providing for plurality of belief but denying
practitioners the ability to fulfil the mandates of their
beliefs would constitute an empty tolerance. The
exemption approach accords legitimacy to beliefs and by
consequence facilitates the flourishing of differentiated
and unique value systems and in particular, minority belief
systems. Compliance with generally applicable nondiscrimination law in these circumstances constitutes a
limitation on the freedom of religious organisations to
segregate themselves from non-members in order to
maintain their integrity. However, proper appreciation
must be taken of the anomaly religious exemptions create:
a practitioners right to violate a law that both
practitioners of different belief systems and nonpractitioners alike, must obey.16 In this model,
differentiated practitioners and non-practitioners alike are
subject to legislative burdens, i.e. their rights may have to
be limited in order to accommodate the religious
mandates of practitioners.17 Any limitations on the rights
of others to accommodate religious belief are subject to
scrutiny under concepts of proportionality. Therefore,
when an exemption is sought from an equally protected
ground of non-discrimination, without objective
justification, the limits of tolerance are reached. More
precisely, the limits of tolerance are reached where an
exemption is sought from a protected ground of nondiscrimination where the genuine occupational
requirement is not satisfied. It will be submitted that a
religious exemption promotes tolerance where it is broad
enough to facilitate the flourishing of a diversity of
majority and minority religions and belief systems but yet
still requires practitioners and non-practitioners alike to
adhere strictly to the generally applicable grounds of non-

discrimination in the absence of the application of the

genuine occupational requirement. B. Religious
Exemptions under the EU Employment Equality Directive
The Employment Equality Directive requires Member
States to provide for employment equality on the grounds
of disability, religion or belief, age and sexual orientation.
However, Article 4(1) of the Employment Equality
Directive permits Member States to make provision for
occupational requirements. Under this provision,
employers may give effect to a difference in treatment
based on a characteristic related to disability, religion, age
and sexual orientation where by reason of the nature of
the particular occupational activities concerned or of the
context in which they are carried out, such a characteristic
constitutes a genuine and determining occupational
requirement, provided that the objective is legitimate and
the requirement is proportionate.18 In other words,
Article 4(1) permits a limitation on rights where there is a
genuine occupational requirement. A second,
circumlocutory and conditional, exemption from the
grounds of non-discrimination applies specifically to
religious employers, churches and other public or private
organisations whose ethos is based on religion or belief.
The religious exemption provided for in Article 4(2) is in
essence a restatement of the genuine occupational
requirement in Article 4(1), addressing the particular
circumstance whereby a religious organisation may accord
preferential treatment to co-religionists where that religion
or belief is a genuine, legitimate and justified
occupational requirement and where such preferential
treatment satisfies the extensive conditionality of the
provision. The lengthy Article 4(2) provides that Member
States may maintain national legislation in force at the
date of adoption of this Directive or provide for future
legislation incorporating national practices existing at the
date of adoption of this Directive pursuant to which, in the
case of occupational activities within churches and other
public or private organisations the ethos of which is based
on religion or belief, a difference of treatment based on a
persons religion or belief shall not constitute
discrimination where, by reason of the nature of these
activities or of the context in which they are carried out, a

persons religion or belief constitute a genuine, legitimate

and justified occupational requirement, having regard to
the organisations ethos. This difference of treatment shall
be implemented taking account of Member States
constitutional provisions and principles, as well as the
general principles of Community law, and should not
justify discrimination on another ground. Provided that its
provisions are otherwise complied with, this Directive shall
thus not prejudice the right of churches and other public
or private organisations, the ethos of which is based on
religion or belief, acting in conformity with national
constitutions and laws, to require individuals working for
them to act in good faith and with loyalty to the
organisations ethos. Ahdar and Leigh note that the
presence of no fewer than six qualifying terms in Article
4(2) is indicative of the extreme sensitivity surrounding
the exception.19 This religious exemption is limited by
the requirements that the difference in treatment relates
solely to the reason of the nature of these activities or of
the context in which they are carried out, constituting a
genuine, legitimate and justified occupation requirement
and which should not justify discrimination on another
ground.20 The interpretation of the latitude afforded to
national practices and constitutional provisions under
Article 4(2), in the absence of any Court of Justice of the
European Union ruling, has been shrouded in ambiguity.
However, given that the Directive is a set of minimum
requirements,21 the Employment Equality Directive
unambiguously and expressly sets out that a religious
exemption from the other generally applicable grounds of
non-discrimination may not be granted at the national
level. This prohibition applies irrespective of national
practices and constitutional provisions. Exemptions under
Article 4(2) are therefore subject to the absolute condition
that the employment practices of such organisations
should not justify discrimination on another ground. It is
submitted that any ambiguity surrounding this prohibition
is contrived in situations where national practices,
constitutional provisions and principles are advanced as
obstacles to the application of non-discrimination to the
pursuits of religious organisations. In particular, the
contrivance of this ambiguity may be fuelled by the

political stakes involved in enforcing compliance with

generally applicable non-discrimination legislation by
religious organisations. This interpretation has also been
adopted by other authors. For example, Ahdar and Leigh
construe Article 4(2) to mean that the language appears
to leave open the possibility that a state could allow a
religious body to argue that a life-style condition related to
its doctrines means that it should be exempted, despite its
effect on practicing homosexuals and lesbians.22 It is
submitted that this is a misconstruction of the scope of the
religious exemption on two bases. Firstly, as supra, it is an
unqualified condition that the exemption should not
justify discrimination on another ground. Secondly, it
cannot be said that an exemption is allowable despite its
effect on the established grounds of non-discrimination
as such is contrary to the concept of indirect
discrimination. An interpretation in this manner would
render the concept of indirect discrimination null. The
concept of indirect discrimination aims to combat
apparently neutral provisions, criteria or practices which
would put persons having a particular racial or ethnic
origin, religion or belief, sex, disability, age or sexual
orientation at a particular disadvantage compared with
other people. It is precisely this effect which is to be taken
into account when balancing the application of competing
rights. In summation, the Employment Equality Directive
represents a set of minimum requirements, an exemption
accorded from which cannot serve to rescind the
protections afforded to other grounds of nondiscrimination. In permitting the scope of the religious
exemption to extend also to the other protected grounds
of non-discrimination, established protections for the
individuals falling within these protected categories are
rescinded. Where the mandates of religious organisations
clash with the other protected grounds of nondiscrimination, the provision for religious exemption may
not be construed so broadly as to in fact be used to
support discriminatory practice dealt by religious
organisations. Individuals identifying within the protected
category of non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual
orientation therefore may not be subject to differential
treatment on this ground where religion or belief is not a

genuine occupational requirement. Hereunder, the

exemptions for religious organisations as set out under the
Irish Equality Acts are contrasted with Article 4(1) of the
Employment Equality Directive. C. Religious Exemptions
under the Irish Equality Acts 19982011 Under Irish
employment law, section 37(1) of the Irish Equality Acts
legislates for an exemption from the generally applicable
grounds of non-discrimination in order to preserve
religious ethos. Whereas the Employment Equality
Directive applies to occupational activities within
churches and other public or private organisations, the
Irish legislation is addressed to the arguably more
narrowly defined category of religious, education or
medical institution(s). Section 37(1) in its current
conception states that A religious, education or medical
institution which is under the direction or control of a body
established for religious purposes or whose objectives
include the provision of services in an environment which
promotes certain religious values shall not be taken to
discriminate [] if it gives more favourable treatment, on
the religion ground, to an employee or a prospective
employee over that person where it is reasonable to do so
in order to maintain the religious ethos of the institution,
or it takes action which is reasonably necessary to prevent
an employee or a prospective employee from undermining
the religious ethos of the institution. Significant
divergence between Article 4(2) of the Employment
Equality Directive and section 37(1) of the Irish Equality
Acts can be identified. The provisions of Article 4(2) of the
Employment Equality Directive are narrower than section
37(1) in two significant respects. Firstly, the Directive
requires that it has to be shown that by virtue of the
nature or context in which they are carried out, the
employees religion or belief constitutes a genuine,
legitimate and justified occupational requirement with
regard to the employers ethos. Thus, as per Bolger, it is
necessary to show that a persons religion is a
determining factor in her actual ability to discharge the
duties of her job, rather than simply showing the
employers perception that such religion or belief is fitting
in light of the organisations ethos.23 Secondly, the
standard applicable to secure a religious exemption differs

between the EU and Irish level. It is acknowledged that the

Irish legislation does require religious employers apply a
semblance of the genuine occupational requirement test,
which considers whether the employee needs to practice a
specific religion in order to undertake the role within the
ethos of the organisation. However, the legislative text
merely indicates that an employer may secure the
exemption where it is reasonable to do so in order to
maintain the religious ethos of the institution. This
standard is far less rigorous than that elucidated in the EU
Employment Equality Directive which requires that
religiosity be a genuine occupational requirement of the
role in question. Therefore, within section 37(1), religiosity
serves a blanket exemption that insulates organisations
identifying as having a religious ethos from nondiscrimination law where there is a mere reasonable link
between preferential treatment and religiosity. In applying
treatment blanket exemption, it can be argued that
adequate appreciation is not taken on a case-by-case
basis of situations where there is no clear link between
religiosity and the employees role within the organisation.
Further, it is not convincing that this reasonable link
standard would motivate enquiries into alternatives for the
redistribution or reorganisation of the responsibilities of
that role where the role only partially requires religiosity in
order to be to effectively carried out. Finally, this blanket
exemption fails to appreciate that employees may keep
their own values without simultaneously detracting from
the ethos of the organisation as well as fulfil the role and
act in good faith and with loyalty,24 without identifying
with the religion or belief in question. In connection with
these two delineated discrepancies between the religious
exemption under the Employment Equality Directive and
section 37(1) of the Irish Equality Acts, section 37(1)(b) is
discussed. Section 37(1)(b) states that a religious
organisation shall not be taken to discrimination where: it
takes action which is reasonably necessary to prevent an
employee or a prospective employee from undermining
the religious ethos of the institution. Section 37(1)(b) is
identified as a threat to the effective enforcement of the
grounds of non-discrimination. Whereas Article 4(2) allows
religious organisations to place a positive obligation on

individuals working for them to act in good faith and with

loyalty to the organisations ethos, section 37(1)(b)
provides the capacity to religious organisations to take
action against employees which will not be reprimanded
as discriminatory action. In its present conception, 37(1)
(b) has been described as a mandate to discriminate25
and may serve to reinforce prejudices and fear of reprisal
amongst the LGBT community. As per Angela Kerins,
Chairperson of the Irish Equality Authority, it is clear that
this clause has reinforced fears of discrimination against
lesbian, gay and bisexual workers in religious-run
institutions, for example in schools and hospitals and
makes it even more difficult for such workers to be open
about their sexuality.26 The reflection of the duty to act
in good faith and with loyalty of Article 4(2) in section
37(1) creates an inverse power in religious employers to
act in a discriminatory manner and to be extrapolated
from liability for this discrimination. In implementing the
Employment Equality Directive, section 37(1) fails to
incorporate the qualifying nuances of Article 4(2). In so
doing, minimum non-discrimination requirements are
rendered negligible and the current protections afforded to
those falling within the protected grounds of nondiscrimination are rescinded. Section 37(1), therefore,
represents a modest interpretation of the obligations
Article 4(2) requires of the implementing Member State. In
the second part of this submission, this discourse will
consider the provisions of first and second Amendment
Bills in legislative evolution of the Irish Equality Acts in
order to determine whether they serve to bring the Irish
legislation more in line with obligations under EU law
incumbent on the Irish State. III. Part B A. First Amendment
Bill The first Amendment Bill of May 2012 took tentative
steps towards requiring that religious organisations submit
to the grounds of non-discrimination legislated for in the
Irish Equality Acts; and by consequence, towards ensuring
that the Irish State conform with its obligations under EU
law. At this juncture, it is noted that the protected grounds
of non-discrimination differ as between the Employment
Equality Directive and the Irish Equality Acts. The
Employment Equality Directive legislates against
discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief,

disability, age or sexual orientation. Additionally, it is

noted that the EU has also passed Directives
implementing the principle of equal treatment between
persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin27 and in the
access to and supply of goods and services on the basis of
sex.28 By comparison, Irish legislation provides nine
grounds of discrimination, amongst which superfluous to
EU law are the family status ground, civil status
ground and the traveller community ground. Section 3
of the first Amendment Bill proposed to amend section 37
through the insertion of the following subsection
immediately after subsection (6): Nothing in subsection
(1) may be relied upon by an institution referred to in
subsection (1) to justify or permit discrimination or to
allow any action to be taken against any employee or
potential employee on the basis of that employees or
potential employees civil status or sexual orientation.29
On one hand, this proposed insertion would have served to
subject religious organisations to the non-discrimination
grounds of civil status and sexual orientation and
contribute to alleviating the typified intolerances between
religion and sexual orientation. However, on the other
hand, the scope of the exemptions afforded to religious
organisations under the first Amendment Bill is still overly
broad and religious organisations would still not be subject
to all grounds of non-discrimination in the Employment
Equality Directive, namely the gender ground, race
ground, age ground, disability ground, membership of the
traveller community ground and, of particular relevance to
a discussion concerning the civil rights movement for the
LGBT community, the family status ground. Similarly,
although section 37(1)(b) as a mandate to
discriminate30 against individuals on the civil status or
sexual orientation ground, it is mitigated; religious
organisations under section 37(1)(a) are still afforded the
opportunity to accord preferential treatment to employees
or prospective employees on religious ground without
being subject to the stringent test of genuine, legitimate
and justified occupational requirement. Therefore, in its
application, the first Amendment Bill may still have
circumvented the prescriptions of the Employment
Equality Directive in the absence of a stringent genuine

occupation requirement and through allowing religious

organisations to still evade the application of the other
grounds of non-discrimination. B. Second Amendment Bill
The first Amendment Bill was defeated in the Seanad
ireann; mostly due to constitutional concerns31 at the
second stage on 2nd May 2012.32 The, then, Minister for
Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, elucidated those
constitutional concerns as rooted in the balance struck by
the Irish courts between the rights of religious
organisations to manage their internal affairs and the
rights of other Irish citizens to equality before the law and
to earn a livelihood. These concerns are addressed
limitedly at the conclusion of this submission. Following
the defeat of the first Amendment Bill, a second private
members bill33 was introduced proposing amendments to
section 37(1).34 The second Amendment Bill of the 8th
March 2013 proposed that section 37(1) remain in place
for wholly autonomous religious institutions whereas
medical and educational institutions in receipt of public
funds may only impose more favourable treatment on
their employees where this preferential treatment does
not contravene any of the protected grounds of nondiscrimination grounds set out in the Employment Equality
Directive. The Bill proposed to amend section 37(1) by
inserting section 3 of the Bill which states (1) (a) Subject
to paragraph (b) below, a religious, educational or medical
institution which is under the direction or control of a body
established for religious purposes or whose objectives
include the provision of services in an environment which
promotes certain religious values shall not be taken to
discriminate against a person for the purposes of this Part
or Part II if it gives more favourable treatment, on the
religion ground, to an employee or a prospective
employee over that person where it is reasonable to do so
in order to maintain the religious ethos of the institution,
or it takes action which is reasonably necessary to prevent
an employee or a prospective employee from undermining
the religious ethos of the institution. (b) Notwithstanding
paragraph (a), where an educational 5 or medical
institution of the type mentioned in that paragraph is
maintained or assisted by recurrent grants provided out of
public funds More favourable treatment of the type

referred to in subparagraph (i) of that paragraph shall be

10 taken to be discrimination unless the treatment does
not constitute discrimination on any of the other
discriminatory grounds, and by reason of the nature of the
institutions activities or the context in which they are
carried out, the religion or belief of the employee or
prospective employee constitutes a genuine, legitimate
and justified occupational requirement having regard to
the institutions ethos; action of the type referred to in
subparagraph (ii) of that paragraph shall be taken to be
discrimination unless, by reason of the nature of the
employment concerned or the context in which it is carried
out, the action taken is objectively justified by a legitimate
aim and the means of achieving the aim are appropriate
and necessary. Encouragingly, it is seen that the second
Amendment Bill adopts the genuine occupational
requirement test as mandated expressly by Article 4(2) of
the Employment Equality Directive in respect of publicly
funded organisations. Further, it is seen that as per the
Directive, public religious organisations are subject to all
grounds of the generally applicable non-discrimination
legislation. However, effectively these amendments create
a situation whereby the inadequate provisions of the first
Amendment Bill, although applicable only to private
institutions, subsist sidelong the provisions of the second
Amendment Bill, which would implement the full
conditionality of Article 4(2) but only with respect to
publicly funded religious organisations. The approach of
the second Amendment Bill creates a two-tier system of
exemptions. The first tier of exemptions permits private
religious organisations to continue to avail of overly broad
exemptions and to elude the application of the stringent
genuine occupational requirement test. Further, section
37(1)(b) as a mandate to discriminate is reincarnated as
section 37(1)(a)(ii). The second tier of exemptions, which
satisfy Article 4(2) of the Employment Equality Directive,
are applicable to publicly funded religious institutions.
Section 37(1)(b) allows for more favourable treatment to
be accorded to an employee on the religion ground where
it does not constitute discrimination on another ground
and where it is strictly related to the genuine occupational
requirement. This two-tiered system of exemptions cannot

be understood to fulfil the Irish States obligations under

the Employment Equality Directive. It is noted in this
respect that Article 4(2) does not distinguish between
private and public institutions in the case of
occupational activities within churches and other public or
private organisations. Therefore, the two-tiered approach
of the second Amendment Bill, which addresses different
standards of compliance to different categories of Irish
citizens, may continue to leave the state exposed to a
breach of its Article 4(2) obligations. By virtue of this
distinction, the protections afforded to the LGBT
community under the employment legislation are still
rescinded in practice. This is a particularly cogent concern
as organisations with a religious ethos are demonstrated
to be dominant in the provisions of services in the field of
education and medicine. It is not proven empirically in this
discussion whether that is the case; rather it is advanced
that where EU non-discrimination protections are secured
partially, the protection for the whole class of individuals is
nominal. The second Amendment Bill was presented on
the 8th of March 2013 and proceeded to the Second Stage
on the 13th and advanced to the Committee stage as of
the 9th of April 2014. Amongst the Committee Stage
amendments proposed it is seen that section 6(2)(e) is
submitted to be revised making reference to religion and
belief, and not merely the religion ground. The
Government at the time proposed that the amendments
be signed into law before end of 2014; which has not yet
transpired at the time of writing. C. Oversight of the
Implementation of the Employment Equality Directive by
European Commission The discrepancy between the
Employment Equality Directive and Irish Equality Acts
have come under scrutiny by the European Commission,
the executive branch of the European Union empowered
to monitor the application of Union law. In the
Commissions 2006 report on religion and belief
discrimination in employment, it was noted that that
section 37(1)(b) does not conform with Article 4(2) of the
Employment Equality Directive given that the exemption
thereunder is broader in scope and does not provide the
religion or belief must be relevant to the particular job in
question, nor does it limit the exception to discrimination

based on the grounds of religion or belief so that it cannot

be used to justify discrimination on another ground.35
That the Irish Equality Acts maintain in force lesser
protections than those granted to EU citizens under the
Employment Equality Directive is a deleterious position
which would leave the State open to infringement
proceedings taken by the European Commission under
Article 258 TFEU. Article 258 TFEU provides that If the
Commission considers that a Member State has failed to
fulfil an obligation under the Treaties, it shall deliver a
reasoned opinion on the matter after giving the State
concerned the opportunity to submit its observations. If
the State concerned does not comply with the opinion
within the period laid down by the Commission, the latter
may bring the matter before the Court of Justice of the
European Union. However, it should be noted at the
outset that the invocation of Article 258 TFEU by the
Commission is a politically sensitive procedure and by
consequence, the Commissions dealings with Member
States thereunder are politically charged rather than legal
in character. For this reason, resolution of the
inconsistency may be sought through dialogue exchanged
with the Commission rather than through the hefty court
procedure. In this regard, the Commission, under Article
258 TFEU, issued a reasoned opinion to the Irish State on
the 31st January 2008 regarding its concerns with the
transposition of the Employment Equality Directive into
Irish law; one concern of which related to the exemptions
for religious institutions which were seen to be overly
broad in their ambit.36 The Department of Justice and
Equality responded to this reasoned opinion by letter of
8th April providing additional explanations on several
topics, including the one concerning the protection against
discrimination based on religion.37 Unfortunately, these
explanations regarding the maintenance of discriminatory
provisions in Irish statutory law which were provided by
the Irish Department of Justice and Equality to the
European Commission have not been made available to
the public. However, in the Commissions responses to the
queries of the European Parliament concerning these
discussions with the Irish Department of Justice and
Equality, there is evidence for the proposition that the Irish

State relied upon the balance struck in the Irish

Constitution between competing rights and the role of the
Irish judiciary in evaluating conflicts on a case by case
basis. Thereafter, it was announced that the Commission
would not pursue infringement proceedings at this
juncture as it was satisfied with the measures that have
been taken and has, therefore, decided not to pursue the
infringement procedure at this point.38 In the European
Parliament in June 2014, the Commission was called to
answer a written question on the closure of infringement
proceedings against Ireland concerning non-conformity of
Irish transposing legislation with Employment Equality
Directive on the 6th May 2008 and in particular, the the
compatibility of Article 4(2) of the Directive and Section
37(1) of the Employment Equality Acts.39 The
Commission indicated that it had considered the issue in
detail and is of the view that the implementation of the
Directive in Ireland provides for the necessary balancing of
rights on a case by case basis. The Commission has not
received any complaints concerning individual cases of
discrimination which would indicate that this is not the
case. It would be for the national court in any particular
given case to decide what was reasonable or what was
reasonably necessary.40 Therefore, it appears that the
Commission did not see cause to take reprisal against the
Irish Equality Acts as currently in force based on its
exchanges with the Irish State. It is submitted that this
course of action is partly attributed to the fact that the
Commission has erroneously identified reasonably
necessary in the Irish Equality Acts as conforming to the
stringent genuine occupational requirement test. It is seen
that over-reliance is placed on the ability of Irish LGBT
citizens to litigate their rights before the Irish courts. It is
advanced that the judicial protection afforded to the
provisions of the Employment Equality Directive in Irish
law is negligible. Further, as will be discussed briefly
below, it is seen that the balance struck by the Irish courts
system has been conceptually broader than that
envisaged under the Employment Equality Directive.
Nevertheless, as heretofore mentioned, non-reprisal of the
Commission does not mean that the Irish Equality Acts are
deemed to conform with the Employment Equality

Directive for all time and the issue may be revisited

depending on further amendments. Should the second
Amendment Bill proceed to be signed into law, the author
submits that the discrepancies between section 37(1) and
Article 4(2) will be enhanced and the two-tier application
of religious exemptions in Irish Equality Acts will evince
the flawed nature of the transposition of the Employment
Equality Directive on a greater number of technicalities
than under the current Irish Equality Acts. In this situation,
the Commission may be motivated to revisit the
implementation of the Employment Equality Directive into
Irish law. D. Constitutional Principles and Provisions
Section 37(1) has been deemed to pass constitutional
muster in the Irish Supreme Court in In Re Article 26 and
the Employment Equality Bill 1996;41 in which it was
pronounced that it would therefore appear that it is
constitutionally permissible to make distinctions or
discriminations on grounds of religious profession belief or
status insofar but only insofar as this may be necessary
to give life and reality to the guarantee of the free
profession and practice of religion contained in the
Constitution.42 In the judgement, Hamilton CJ considered
that the use of the words reasonable and reasonably
necessary implies that the test is to be an objective one
and that the matter is to be resolved on a case to case
basis.43 Further, it is advanced in the same breath that
the final decision on this question as well as the final
decision on what is reasonable or reasonably necessary to
protect the ethos will rest with the court and the court in
making its overall decision will be conscious of the need to
reconcile the various constitutional rights involved.44 It is
clearly seen that the Commissions comments on closure
of the Article 258 TFEU procedure are borrowed directly
from Irish constitutional precedent; no doubt as result of
correspondence with the Irish Ministry for Justice and
Equality. The ratio of Hamiliton CJ in In Re Article 26 and
the Employment Equality Bill 1996 is advanced as the
proper balance struck by the Irish judiciary between the
rights of religious organisations to manage their own
affairs and maintain institutions for religious and
charitable purposes and the rights of other citizens to
equality before the law and to earn their livelihood under

the Irish Constitution. This balance is different than that

enunciated by Article 4(2) of the Employment Equality
Directive and has so far served to operate as a shield to
critics of the transposition of the Directive. The balance
struck under In Re Article 26 and the Employment Equality
Bill 1996 as set out above has on a case-by-case basis
served to protect that which is conducive to religiosity and
not merely objectively justified. This is elucidated in the
jurisprudence of DPP v Draper45 in which McCarthy J
stated that religious exemptions may be justified where
the effect of the legislative restriction is not to inhibit
religious practices, but merely to render their exercise
inconvenient or disadvantageous.46 In this example, the
overly broad nature of this constitutional balance as
compared to the balance struck under Article 4(2) is
clearly evinced. At the very minimum, the author queries
the Commissions judgement, in holding this balance as
legitimate, to discharge the obligations of the Irish State
under the Employment Equality Directive. The Irish
legislation is further reliant on individuals enforcing their
rights in the Irish constitutional courts in order to secure
the protections of the EU Employment Equality Directive;
something, which is questionable under a consideration of
judicial protection as mentioned above. In circumstances
where the broad scope of section 37(1) favours religious
practitioners, this would signify that persons falling within
the affected categories of non-discrimination do not have
equal access to employment protections. Finally, albeit in
the absence of any precedent or interpretation of Article
4(2) by the Court of Justice of the European Union, it is
advanced by the author that there is no indication in
Article 4(2) that the discretion to maintain in place
national practices, constitutional provisions and
principles is not similarly subject to the generally EU
applicable grounds of non-discrimination. In fact, if it were
not, it would constitute an illogical construction of Union
legislation which seeks to introduce minimum standards in
the protection of employment equality rights across the
EU. The introduction of such minimum standards would be
untenable if each Member State could secure varied
exemptions in accordance with their constitutional
provisions and national practices. Leaving aside an

analysis of the Irish constitutional principles and case-law

advanced as an obstacle to the correct transposition of the
Employment Equality Directive in Irish legislation, it is
submitted the current legislation in force is not itself easily
reconciled with the Irish States own profound
commitments to equality both in the Constitution and in
legislation.47 Further, the introduction of a distinction
between public and private religious organisations
constitute an illogicality within Irelands own constitutional
history. It is noted that the Fifth Amendment Act of the
Constitution in 1972 removed an article from the
Constitution which served to create a hierarchy of religion
within the State and which came to be viewed as
potentially discriminatory. 48 This amendment was signed
into law in 1973 by, then, President de Valera, who had
originally drafted the Article 44 freedom of religion
guarantee.49 The reintroduction of a distinction between
private and public religious organisations goes further
than that necessary to preserve the autonomy of internal
management of religious organisations50 and recreates a
hierarchy between variant belief systems. It is submitted
that second the Amendment Bill constitutes a regression
in the development of the Irish States freedom of religion
guarantee. Far from becoming ensnared in a constitutional
discussion which is not practicable in this submission, this
discussion is concluded with three observations. The first
of which is to acknowledge that the constitutional balance
with respect to religious exemptions is broader in scope
than the balance struck by the Employment Equality
Directive because it serves to protect that which is
conducive and not merely essential to religiosity.
Secondly, it is remembered that a constitutional
referendum is imminent in May 2015 which, if passed,
may have far reaching consequences for the LGBT civil
rights movement and motivate the re-weighting of this
constitutional balance amongst other developments in
Irish society in recent years, requiring the Irish courts to
re-evaluat[e] the concept of law in a culturally diverse,
plural society.51 Finally, it is queried in an open-ended
manner whether the mystique surrounding Irish
constitutional provisions has been the main reason for the
refraction of the EU employment equality guarantees of

the Irish LGBT community at national level. It would seem

that the Commission is reluctant to wade into the Irish
constitutional provisions and case law and critically
examine the balance struck by the Irish courts between
these competing rights. It is submitted that if this critical
examination was undertaken, the Commission may be
motivated to pursue its reasoned opinion further. IV.
Conclusions Within this submission, the author has sought
to demonstrate through comparative analysis that the
Irish State maintains in force a religious exemption
broader than the scope of the religious exemptions set out
in the Employment Equality Directive. Further, it has been
submitted that the proposed legislative amendments
instigated by the Irish government would not serve to
rectify the enforcement gap. In fact, with regard to the
propositions of the second Amendment Bill, it is submitted
that, if passed, the disparity between the Employment
Equality Directive and the Irish Equality Acts will be
evinced even more strongly.52 The propositions of the
second Amendment Bill would serve to create a hierarchy
between religion and belief systems and non-belief
systems in contradiction with the Irish States own
constitutional commitment to freedom of religion. It is also
submitted that the second Amendment Bill further
illuminates the points of contention between the EU
Employment Directive and the Irish Equality Acts which
may serve as a basis for the Commission to conduct
renewed enquiries into Irish equality legislation. Overall,
this submission argues that the Irish government should
amend its employment equality legislation to ensure that
the religious exemptions therein are limited by the strict
conditionality of Article 4(2) and the imperative to satisfy
the exigencies of the genuine occupational requirement
test. By virtue of the provision of an overly broad religious
exemption in section 37(1), a hidden intolerance towards
the Irish LGBT community has been permitted to fester.
The subsistence of this intolerance in Irish legislation has
in fact served to rescind the protections granted to these
individuals under EU employment law. Beyers maxim
eloquently elucidates the crossroads at which the Irish
State finds itself: tolerance is the non-tolerance of the
intolerance.53 Where the Irish State fails to implement

the stringent provisions of the Employment Equality

Directive, it is advanced that the State itself becomes
complicit in perpetuating intolerance. The Irish State is
therefore recommended to amend the scope of section
37(1) to fully comply with the textual nuances of Article
4(2) in order to strike a functionally tolerant, and not just
superficially tolerant, balance between religious tolerance
and generally applicable civil non-discrimination law.
Competing Interests The author declares that they have
no competing interests. Johan de Tavernier, Tolerance,
Pluralism and Truth in Didier Pollefeyt (ed), Incredible
Forgiveness: Christian Ethics Between Fanaticism and
Reconciliation (Peeters Publishers 2004) 118. Council
Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a
general framework for equal treatment in employment
and occupation [2000] OJ L303/16 (Employment Equality
Directive). Employment Equality Act 1998 (Irish Equality
Acts) s 37(1) which came into force on 18 October 1999.
Employment Equality (Amendment) Seanad Bill (2012) 11
(first Amendment Bill). Employment Equality
(Amendment) (No. 2) Seanad Bill (2013) 23 (second
Amendment Bill). McGrath and Ruairc v Trustees of
Maynooth College [1979] ILRM 166, [1979] 187. Henchy J,
(Griffin, Kenny and Parke JJ concurring) notes: The
constitutional provision invoked here [Article 44.2.3] must
be construed in terms of its purpose. In proscribing
disabilities and discriminations at the hands of the State
on the grounds of religious profession, belief or status, the
primary aim of the constitutional guarantee is to give
vitality, independence and freedom to religion. To construe
the provision literally, without due regard to its underlying
objective, would lead to a sapping and debilitation of the
freedom and independence given by the Constitution to
the doctrinal and organisational requirements and
proscriptions which are inherent in all organised religions.
Carmen Garcimartn, Ireland in Javier Martnez-Torrn and
Cole Durham Jr (eds), Religion and the Secular State:
Interim National Reports (Brigham Young University 2010),
403. Russell Sandberg and Norman Doe, Religious
Exemptions in Discrimination Law (2007) 66(2)
Cambridge Law Journal 302. Gender Recognition Seanad
Bill (2014) 116. International Service for Human Rights,

Ireland: Ensure Legal Recognition of Transgender People

ISHR (Geneva, 23 February 2015)
http://www.ishr.ch/news/ireland-ensure-legal-recognitiontransgender-people accessed 1 August 2015. Minister
Frances Fitzgerald TD, Government Announces Wording
for Marriage Equality Referendum Department of Justice
and Equality (Dublin, 21 January 2015)
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR15000009
accessed 1 August 2015; Thirty-Fourth Amendment of the
Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill (2015) 5. This
Implementation Bill was passed on the 27th of March and
was accepted by 29 votes to 3 in Seanad ireann. Atheist
Ireland, Atheist Ireland Submission to UN Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (26 September
2014) http://atheist.ie/2014/09/atheist-irelandsubmission-to-un-committee-on-economic-social-andcultural-rights/ accessed 1 August 2015. UN Human
Rights Council Legacy Steering Group, International
Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) Fourth Periodic
Examination of Ireland: Submission to the Seanad Public
Consultation Committee, (21 March 2014) 9; The Irish
Council for Civil Liberties, A Roundup of Coverage of
Irelands ICCPR Examination 1425 July 2014
http://iccl.ie/a-roundup-of-coverage-of-irelands-iccprexamination-14--25-july-2014.html accessed 1 August
2015; Kitty Holland, UN Asks How State Will Protect NonChristian Children Irish Times (15 July 2014);. Human
Rights Committee, Concluding Observations on the Fourth
Periodic Report of Ireland IHREC (24 July 2014)
http://www.ihrec.ie/publications/list/un-hrc-concludingobservations-on-ireland-and-iccp/ accessed 1 August
2015. Emmanuelle Bribosia and Isabelle Rorive, In Search
of a Balance between the Right to Equality and Other
Fundamental Rights (DG for Employment, Social Affairs
and Equal Opportunities, February 2010) 14. Sandra
Fredman, Disability Equality: A Challenge to the Existing
Anti-Discrimination Paradigm? in Anna Lawson and
Caroline Gooding (eds), Disability Rights in Europe: From
Theory to Practice (Hart Publishing 2005) 199. Mark Rienzi,
The Case for Religious Exemptions Whether Religion is
Special or Not? (2014) 127(5) Harvard Law Review 1396.
ibid 109. Article 4(1), Employment Equality Directive (n 2).

Rex Ahdar and Ian Leigh, Religious Freedom in the Liberal

State (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2013) 370. Article
4(2), Employment Equality Directive (n 2). Employment
Equality Directive (n 2) Recital 28 reads [t]his Directive
lays down minimum requirements, thus giving the
Member States the option of introducing or maintaining
more favourable provisions. The implementation of this
Directive should not serve to justify any regression in
relation to the situation which already prevails in each
Member State. Article 8 states: 1. Member States may
introduce or maintain provisions which are more
favourable to the protection of the principle of equal
treatment than those laid down in this Directive. 2. The
implementation of this Directive shall under no
circumstances constitute grounds for a reduction in the
level of protection against discrimination already afforded
by Member States in the fields covered by this Directive.
ibid. Margaret Bolger, Discrimination on Grounds of
Religion: Theory and Practice (The European Network
Against Racism Conference, 23 October 2003) 13. Article
4(2), Employment Equality Directive (n 2). House of the
Oireachtas, Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012:
Second Stage (2 May 2012) 215(3) Seanad ireann
Debate, Senator Ivana Bacik at para 162
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/seanad/2012/05/02/00007.as
p accessed 1 August 2015. Irish Equality Authority,
Equality Authority welcomes Minister Quinns
announcement on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual teachers (11
April 2012) 5
http://www.ihrec.ie/download/pdf/equality_news_summer_
2012.pdf accessed 1 August 2015. Council Directive
2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of
equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or
ethnic origin [2000] OJ L180/22. Council Directive
2004/113/EC of 13 December 2004 implementing the
principle of equal treatment between men and women in
the access to and supply of goods and services [2004] OJ L
373/37. First Amendment Bill (n 4). House of the
Oireachtas (n 25), Senator Ivana Bacik at para 162. ibid,
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter)
paras 152154. ibid para 162. Second Amendment Bill (n
5). ibid 3. Lucy Vickers, Religion and Belief Discrimination

in Employment The EU law (DG for Employment, Social

Affairs and Equal Opportunities, November 2006) 29.
European Commission, Employment Directive
(2000/78/EC): List of Member States to Which a Reasoned
Opinion or Letter of Formal Notice Will Be Sent
(MEMO/08/68, 31 January 2008)
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-08
68_en.htm?locale=en accessed 1 August 2015. Reasoned
opinion sent to Ireland for the following reasons: Incorrect
definition of indirect discrimination, discrimination based
on beliefs is not prohibited, exclusion of protection against
discrimination for certain private types of employment,
interested bodies do not have the right to participate in
legal proceedings on behalf of victims of discrimination,
limit to damages payable to victims of discrimination, the
exception from the ban on discrimination on grounds of
religion is too broad. European Commission, Closure of
the Infringement Procedure on the Transposition in Ireland
of Directive 2000/78/EC (Press Release IP/08/703, 6 May
2008) http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-08
703_en.htm accessed 1 August 2015. European
Commission, MEMO/08/68 (n 36) (emphasis added).
Answer of Mrs. Reding on behalf of the Commission to
Written Question E-004412/2014 by Emer Costello (S&D)
to the Commission Section 37.1 of the Irish Employment
Equality Act and Directive 2000/78/EC [2014] OJ C337.
ibid. Re Article 26 and the Employment Equality Bill 1996
[1997] 2 IR 321 (SC). ibid 358. ibid 359. ibid. The People
(DPP) v Draper (Irish Times, 24 March 1988). Eoin Daly,
Re-Evaluating the Purpose of Church State Separation in
the Irish Constitution: The Endowment Clause as a
Protection of Religious Freedom and Equality (2008) 8(2)
Judicial Studies Institute Journal 32. Article 40.1
reads[a]ll citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal
before the law. Article 44.2 and 44.3 formally read as
follows: 2. The State recognises the special position of
the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church as the
guardian of the Faith professed by the great majority of
the citizens. 3. The State also recognises the Church of
Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Methodist
Church in Ireland, the Religious Society of Friends in
Ireland, as well as the Jewish Congregations and the other

religious denominations existing in Ireland at the date of

the coming into operation this Constitution. ibid. Mauro
Gatti, Autonomy of Religious Organisations in the
European Convention of Human Rights and European
Union Law in Lucia S Rossi and Giacomo Di Federico (eds),
Fundamental Rights in Europe and China: Regional
Identities and Universalism (Editoriale Scientifica 2013)
132153. Prakash Shah, Legal Pluralism in Conflict: Coping
with Cultural Diversity in Law (Glass House Press 2005) 1.
In this regard, it is noted that in the Commissions
reasoned opinion of 31 January 2008 references the
grievance that exclusion of protection against
discrimination for certain private types of employment.
See (n 36). Hendrick JM Beyer, Tolerantie en Fanatisme:
Een Studie over Verdraagzaamheid (Van Loghum Slaterus
1948

WHAT A LYING TOAD JOAN BURTON REALLY IS

FALSE IMPRISONMENT!
PEACEFUL PROTEST
SHE LOOKS TERRIFIED ALRIGHT
Right now there is a trial taking place of a 17 year old who, at 16
years of age, participated in a peaceful demonstration in Jobstown,
Tallaght. The end result of the protest meant the Tanaiste was
delayed by about 2 hours. These protests have happened several
times before and no big deal was made out of them. Sadly, this
time, the State is cracking down hard.
They are wasting hundreds of thousands of euros pursuing a
pathetic case against a few decent people who stood up against
austerity and further attacks on their community which was savaged
over the last 8 years.
There were no dawn raids of bankers who crashed the economy. No
dawn raids on the politicians who have been proven corrupt in this
country. No dawn raids on the people who paid off those politicians.
But there were dawn raids on protesters who peacefully fought back
against austerity.
Be under no illusion, the whole purpose of this trial is to make a
statement to protesters, and an expensive one at that.
Imagine if the money currently being spent on this trial had've been
put into communities like Jobstown, instead of the cuts they actually
experienced.
Imagine if it had've been spent housing even one family who has
lost their home.
Imagine if the establishment in Ireland, instead of targeting people
for saying enough is enough, had listened to them in 2013-14 when
hundreds of thousands of us took to the streets and said we wanted
water charges and other austerity measures scrapped.
Rather than listen to us, they incited us by questioning why
protesters had mobile phones. Referring to us as dissidents. Calling
us the 'sinister fringe' and the "Irish equivalent of ISIS." They
thought that by demonising protesters, the momentum would
cease. Saturday proved it hasn't.
We are calling on the government, the DPP and the justice system to
stop wasting valuable resources pursuing a vindictive and petty
political agenda and instead to spend those resources investing in
communities across this island.
#Solidarity with all those facing trial on trumped up charges today
and in the coming days and weeks. You have done your community
a service and it won't be forgotten.

Water Quality: Commission acts against France, Greece,

Germany, Ireland,
Brussels, 22. February 2002Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain
and the United Kingdom
The European Commission has decided to take further
legal action against France, Greece, Germany, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom for
non-compliance with EU water quality legislation. The
legislation in question is the Directives governing Surface
Water, Bathing Water, Drinking Water, Shellfish Water,
Urban Wastewater and Nitrates. Legal action also relates
to an agreement on the protection of the Mediterranean
Sea.
Commenting on the decisions, Margot Wallstrm, the
Environment Commissioner, said: "The European
Commission must respond to the particular concern of
many citizens for a strong level of water protection by
ensuring that Member States comply with the range of EU
agreements that they have adopted for this purpose. It is
essential that all Member States adhere fully to these
legislative measures if we are to ensure a sustainable
management of water quantity and quality in Europe.
France
On 8 March 2001, the Court of Justice ruled against France
for its failure to comply with the 50mg/l limit for nitrates in
surface waters in Brittany which are used for the
abstraction of drinking water. This was contrary to the
legal requirements of the Surface Water Directive (Case C1999/266). Effective measures are not yet in place to
combat this problem, so the Commission decided to send
a Letter of Formal Notice (first written warning) for not
complying with the judgement, under Article 228 of the
Treaty of the European Communities (EC).
Of three decisions to refer France to the Court under
Article 226 of the EC Treaty, the first concerns its failure to
meet the December 2000 deadline for transposing the
new Drinking Water Directive into national legislation.
A second decision relates to Frances failure to provide
bathing water monitoring results for 1999 (apparently
because of an internal dispute within the French

administration), in contravention of the Bathing Water

Quality Directive.
The third decision to refer France to the Court under
Article 226 relates to polluting discharges that are
responsible for the decline of the de Berre saline lake (in
the Bouches du Rhone department), which is one of the
largest saline lakes in Western Europe. These polluting
discharges come from a hydroelectric power station and
consist of freshwater discharges and sediments containing
excessively high nutrient levels. These damage the
sensitive ecosystem of the lake. In the Commission's
view, this pollution is contrary to the Protocol governing
the protection of the Mediterranean Sea from land-based
pollution sources.
Greece
Two decisions to refer Greece to the Court under Article
226 of the EC Treaty concern the implementation of the
Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
The first concerns the Greeces failure to meet the 1998
deadline for installing tertiary treatment (advanced
treatment for the cleaning of wastewater) for the region of
Elefsina.
The second decision relates to inadequate wastewater
treatment in Athens. The city will eventually benefit from a
major new treatment plant at Psittalia (capable of treating
the waste produced by five million people). However, the
stricter wastewater treatment measures that are required
to protect the receiving waters of the Gulf of Saronikos will
not be operational before the end of 2002. Recent studies
have shown those waters to be eutrophic i.e. to have
undergone a sharp increase in photosynthetic organisms,
including algae, and a lowering of the oxygen levels as
anaerobic organisms degrade the dead algae.
Greece has also received a Reasoned Opinion (second
written warning) under Article 226 for failing to designate
the gulf of Thermaikos as sensitive.
Germany
A decision to refer Germany to the Court under Article 226
of the Treaty relates to German federal legislation
concerning the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. In
the Commission's view, German legislation fails to provide

adequately for the monitoring of wastewater treatment

measures.
Luxembourg
A decision to refer Luxembourg to the Court under Article
226 of the Treaty relates to Luxembourgs failure to met
the December 2000 deadline for transposing the new
Drinking Water Directive into its national legislation.
Ireland
The decision to refer Ireland to the Court under Article 226
of the Treaty follows an investigation into a complaint that
Ireland has not adopted any anti-pollution programmes
under the Shellfish Directive. Irish legislation previously
only provided for programmes where problems had
already arisen, whereas, in the Commission's view,
programmes should be in place to help avoid pollution
occurring in the first place. Ireland has now amended its
legislation in response to the Commission's Reasoned
Opinion. However, the required programmes have still not
been finalised and sent to the Commission.
Belgium, Spain and United Kingdom
These Member States will be referred to the Court of
Justice under Article 226 of the Treaty for missing the
December 2000 deadline for transposing the new Drinking
Water Directive into their respective national legislation.
While Belgium has sent the Commission draft legislation
for Flanders and Wallonia, the Commission has not yet
received final adopted legislation. Spain has also sent a
draft of part of the required legislation, but once again
final adopted texts have still not been received. The
decision to refer the United Kingdom to the Court relates
to the absence of legislation covering Northern Ireland and
Wales.
Protecting Europes water : the EU agreements concerned
The Surface Water Directive aims to protect the quality of
surface waters used for the abstraction of drinking water.
It sets standards and requires Member States to draw up a
global and coherent plan of action for all waters, with a
special focus on poor-quality ones, which should have led
to the reduction of pollution within 12 years of the entry
into force of the Directive.
The Nitrates Directive aims to prevent the introduction

into surface waters and ground waters of excessive levels

of nitrates due to the presence of agricultural fertilisers
and agricultural waste. Excessive nitrate levels cause
undesirable ecological changes in water and are a factor
in the proliferation of harmful algal blooms. They also
adversely affect public health. The Directive required
Member States to carry out monitoring of surface waters
and ground water, to identify nitrate-polluted waters and
to designate vulnerable zones (i.e. intensive agricultural
zones that include nitrate-polluted waters) by December
1993.
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive addresses the
nutrient-based, bacterial and viral pollution caused by
urban wastewater. Urban wastewater discharges, by
introducing excessive nutrients (in particular, phosphorous
and nitrates) into rivers and seas cause eutrophication
(sharp increases in photosynthetic organisms, including
algae, and a lowering of the oxygen levels as anaerobic
organisms degrade the dead algae). This can drastically
change the lake or sea's ecosystem. It may even include
the death of large numbers of fish, especially those that
need high oxygen levels such as trout. By introducing
potentially harmful bacteria and viruses, the dischrages
also pose health risks in waters used for bathing or
shellfish culture. The Directive requires that cities, towns
and other population centres meet minimum wastewater
collection and treatment standards within deadlines fixed
by the Directive. The expiry of these deadlines was the
end of 1998, 2000 and 2005, depending on the sensitivity
of the receiving water and on the size of the population
centre in question. The Directive required Member States
to have identified sensitive areas by 31 December 1993,
and to have met strict standards for discharging directly
into these areas or their catchments. This was to have
been achieved by 31 December 1998 (including the
removal of nutrients that contribute to eutrophication).
The Directive also imposes several other requirements,
including those relating to the monitoring of wastewater
discharges.
The revised Drinking Water Directive is intended to
replace the existing Directive by the end of December
2003 at the latest. The Directive establishes quality

standards for drinking water and key instruments for

safeguarding public health. These standards apply to a
range of substances, properties and organisms (called
parameters). Among other things, the new Directive
considerably tightens the standards with regard to lead
content, which reflects current public health concerns. The
deadline for adopting the necessary national legislation
was 25 December 2000.
The Bathing Water Quality Directive is also important for
public health. It aims to ensure that bathing waters meet
minimum quality criteria by establishing a set of binding
and more stringent Community standards for a range of
key parameters (such as indicators of the presence of
faecal bacteria).
It also requires that Member States carry out regular water
quality monitoring and send annual reports to the
Commission detailing bathing water quality. The legal
deadline for complying with these standards was 1985.
The Shellfish Water Directive aims to safeguard the
quality of waters designated for shellfish and thereby
contribute to ensuring the availability of high quality
edible shellfish. It also establishes a set of water quality
standards and requires Member States to put in place
programmes to ensure compliance with these standards.
In 1983, the then European Community ratified the
protocol for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea
against pollution from land-based sources . This protocol
was adopted under the Barcelona Convention and
commits parties to preventing or reducing pollution of the
Mediterranean caused by rivers, coastal installations and
waste discharge pipes.
Legal Process
As guardian of the EC Treaty, the Commission must make
sure that the legal requirements of the Treaty and
legislation adopted under the Treaty are respected by
Member States. The procedure being followed in this case
relates to Article 226 of the Treaty, which gives the
Commission powers to take legal action against a Member
State that is not respecting its obligations.
If the Commission considers that there may be an
infringement of Community law that warrants the opening

of an infringement procedure, it addresses a "Letter of

Formal Notice" to the Member State concerned, requesting
it to submit its observations by a specified date, usually
two months.
In the light of the reply or absence of a reply from the
Member State concerned, the Commission may decide to
address a "Reasoned Opinion" (or second written warning)
to the Member State. This clearly and definitively sets out
the reasons why it considers there to have been an
infringement of Community law and calls upon the
Member State to comply within a specified period,
normally two months.
If the Member State fails to comply with the Reasoned
Opinion, the Commission may decide to bring the case
before the European Court of Justice.
Article 228 of the Treaty gives the Commission power to
act against a Member State that does not comply with a
previous judgement of the European Court of Justice. The
article also allows the Commission to ask the Court to
impose a financial penalty on the Member State
concerned.
For current statistics on infringements in general see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_co
m/index_en.htm#infractions