Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Christina Finn here, following all the happenings at Leaders’ Questions. If you have any thoughts, comments, or opinions, you can leave a comment below or tweet us @thejournal_ie.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is heading Stateside today, so Education Minister Richard Bruton is stepping into his shoes for Leaders’ Questions today. He’s likely to face questions about the expert commission’s report on water charges that was published yesterday.
Enda Kenny is flying to San Francisco this afternoon, so he’s unable to take Leaders’ Questions.
Never fear, Richard Bruton has said he is only delighted to take the Taoiseach’s place.
He’s likely to be asked about the expert commission’s report on the future of water charges. It has dominated the news today. You can read all about it here:
Micheál Martin is up. He wants to talk about the Orkambi drug for those in Cystic Fibrosis.
Read more about the drug here and the recent leak about the HSE decision.
He is recounting the story of one patient whose life has changed after taking the drug.
Martin said the leak about the decision by the HSE about the drug was “heartless and disgraceful”. He says there seems to be a conscious effort to “talk down” the effects of the drug.
The Fianna Fáil leader wants to know will the government step up and make this drug available.
Richard Bruton says the decision about drugs like this has been taken out of the political sphere.
“The effectiveness and the cost” have to be considered,” says Bruton.
He says there have been intense discussions to reach an agreement.
Canada and Australia have not been reached with Vertex – the company that makes the drug. Bruton says Health Minister Simon Harris is now aligning himself with other health ministers around the world who are also in negotiation.
There goes someone’s mobile phone again as Martin tells Bruton he doesn’t accept the answer from Bruton.
He says Ireland should be leading in this area. Martin says he knows the minister can move on this and has done so in the past with other drugs.
Listing of a number of countries, Bruton said they are all have difficulty dealing with the Vertex company.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald is on her feet now.
She brings up the report published yesterday in relation to water charges.
“We do not support a charge for those with excessive use,” she said.
McDonald said a low charge would only lead to hiking up the price later on.
“How could anyone trust you not to increase water charges in the future,” she added.
No water charges through the front door or the back door.
She wants to know will those that have not paid been pursued or will those who have paid have their money refunded.
Bruton said they have to look at those that did their “civic duty by paying their water charges” are treated equitably.
The report finds the polluter pay principle will ensure those use excessive water will be charged. He said he is happy to tease all these matters out by the Oireachtas committee which will have its first meeting next Tuesday.
“I think there is very valuable fruit for thought,” he states.
“We do need to have a sustainable approach.” He says parties shouldn’t “grandstand” on certain issues.
McDonald said Minister Simon Coveney stated that those who have not been paid will be pursued. She said lots of people paid up because they were “brow-beaten and bullied” into paying.
Others could not pay, she said. The deputy Sinn Féin leader said the public who paid and those that did not pay want answers today as to where they stand.
Bruton said it is unfair to say that politicians were only elected on one issue alone, such as abolishing water charges.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin is now talking about the public ownership of water, reading out sections of the report published yesterday.
The Dáil has already passed the bill to ensures and protects state ownership of water services.
He said this will prevent the “disaster” of the selling off of the telecoms industry. Howlin says there is a real “distrust” of politicians on this issue now.
Howlin wants to know if government will support the calls for a referendum to keep water in public ownership and wants to know will it take place next year.
He also wants any Cabinet briefings on the matter to be published.
Bruton said the water legislation already provides legal protection to prevent the sale of water services.
I am of the view we need to protect our core networks, he says, stating that some other countries have made mistakes in this regard, as has this state.
The education minister says it would be wrong to preempt the work of the committee who have three months from January to consider the report.
Howlin said those that paid their water charges in good faith get a full reimbursement.
He said that is a matter for the committee and said as a former expenditure minister he should understand that he cannot stand up in the chamber and make that commitment today.
Richard Boyd Barrett stands up and welcomes the politics students from Sallynoggin College present in the public gallery.
He said the water report is a “fudge” and leaves the door open for water charges with the use of the terms about excessive water charges.
The AAA-PBP says the Irish people are prudent in their use of water and it is the businesses that use the most water.
He says the people don’t want water charges rolled up and presented as something else, which is what he says Fianna Fáil would like to do.
Boyd Barrett also takes a side swipe at the party about the invitation to Bertie Ahern to rejoin the party.
What do you make of that one, by the way? We want to know.
Boyd Barrett tells the minister not to insult the people that took to the street to protest against water charges.
Charges do not reduce water usage.
I suggest minister you do your research.
“Accept the will and intelligence of the people that have taken to the streets. They want conservation just as much as you,” says Boyd Barrett.
He calls on government to bring in a conservation grant that will enable people to bring in water-saving initiatives in their homes.
“You have never done that.”
That’s it for Leaders’ Questions for today. You can continue to watch the Dáil’s proceedings here. Join us tomorrow for more of the happenings around Leinster House.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
It’s your ‘civic duty’ to pay water charges.
While a foreign vulture fund is able to pay .000026% tax on €77m profit.
Do me a favour!
If big corporations paid their fair share and the tax payer wasn’t sending billions out of the Country every year to repay bank debt just think of the kind of Country we’d have..
If you compared the net tax take from multinationals (including income tax levied on their employees) and compared it to the combined tax take (after social transfers) of all SF/AAAPBP/SP/SWP voters, I think it would highlight who the real leeches are in this sham of a state.
@Denito:
I think it is time the people of Ireland took this country back and said good buy
to FF/FG/LABOUR for good.
@Denito: Exactly- the multinationals, the corporate sector generally, the Small Firms Association, the catering and ‘hospitality’ sector, farmers, cowboy builders and many, many mouthpieces who bleat on about “rural Ireland” until they turn up on revenue’s tax defaulters list, leeches one-and-all! Oh, and BTW, income tax derived from employees of multinationals is paid by THE WORKERS, not their bosses!
@Denito: So, to extend your logic then, because someone pays, say income tax, they should be allowed to avoid paying other taxes, like vat or tax on fuel and stuff then.
Income tax is paid by the worker, not the company, and I don’t support any of the parties you mention in your post by the way.
@Eyepopper: ah no its your civic duty to pay if you waste water. Hum let’s see I for that reason did not pay the water bill. Due to the fact the EU directive and Fine Gael whole argument again stated by Richard Burton is the the polluter pay principle for those who use excessive water. I did not do that so I did not pay and will not pay. Really Mary Lou McDonald missed that point.
My civic duty is to my fellow Irish Citizen by voting for politicians who think outside the box and do not stay inside the box with their enemies.
Enda’s running away again coz the water issue needs clarification, after the commission’s report.
@Dave Doyle: no Enda gone xmas shopping with his wifey on his over inflated salary of €201,000 a year plus expenses and of course his €5000 increase this year. Ah if only I could have his neck, he runs like the red shank and maybe he has the Irish constitution in his pocket to take out and wave at his wife when she annoys him. He only got married at 41 years of age, their 25 years married so he 66 years old . He needs a rest from all hassles.
@Clever Jake: Simon The conman has annoyed you Jake. His homeless project is a disaster, this government will not last another year. His hot air hissing is because he is shamed into a defenceless argument based on taking water an essential source for human life and putting a charge on it.
He gave me a great Idea, I’m off to the recycling centre to get the empty baldly gown plastic bottle to fill them with water and sell them to people to wash their cars. Thanks Simon you are a failed lost politician.
Seems Richard bruton carried on government policy. Not answering the question he was asked. Just waffled away. They don’t seem to remember the are not just answering to the td that asks the question but the public listening at home. Waffle doesn’t cut it.
Three times he was asked about referendum on water for public ownership. He ignored the question each time. Why?
All of this avoidance to enshrine Irish Water into the Constitution and reluctance to address the issue makes one has to wonder if Irish Water has already been sold.
Why is he going to the US and is he travelling standard class onboard an Are Lingus flight. Or is he using the Gulfstream jet at over €10,000 per hour.
@Michael Clinton: Moan moan moan. He is not there on holiday but rather an important trade mission. Considering the investment US companies have put into this country and Irish into the US I think such trips are worth their price or do you think we should all stay home and do nothing?
Just to keep you in the loop john, we have a superb Enterprise board that have worked very hard to get US companies to invest. All this rubber necked turnip is doing is going to take praise for the hard work others have accomplished. So as a taxpayer I am perfectly entitled to as questions and if “moan”.
@Michael Clinton: Of course Enterprise Ireland do great work but don’t underestimate the power of government. I know for a fact as I work for a US company that moved here. Kenny while hated in Ireland in generally liked by business in the US. I have been at the lunches and open evenings in San Francisco, DC and New York so less of the negativity.
@John Reese: power of govt ? this is kenny we are talking about a clown who bearly knows how to tie his shoelaces he is gone away again to avoid any questions on water, If he is so liked in the USA let him stay there because as you say he is hated here….
Well let him stay in the US and they are welcome to him. As I said I am as a taxpayer entitled to my opinion and well entitled to question anything that any person claiming to represent me does or says. If you don’t like what I say then kindly move on .
@Michael Clinton: No need to get all jumpy. I am pointing out a fact of trade missions. Your big American CEO gets a kick out of meeting a PM be that Irish or whatever country is trying to woo them. It is competition and to suggest that Kenny can’t even string two words together is lazy and wrong.
Kenny is as thick as a bag of sledgehammers, the waster has hung around the dail since he inherited his father’s seat. What has this buffoon contributed to the country ?????…. Sweet F/A. The gombeen stumbles from one shambles to another mumbling about how much confidence he has in his cohorts. He is an embarrassment to the country and if the American people want him so bad they are welcome to him. Everything this clown touches falls apart. Look at the children’s referendum, that was deemed illegal (and the money was never returned). What about the Senad vote.. Any other person call that referendum and those layabouts would be gone. Kenny is a prize clown that happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Ok it’s no point debating with a fool . Happy Christmas
@Peter Donnelly. A clown that can’t tie his shoe laces? And only gone to the US to avoid leaders questions? You realize by making such childish statements you completely undermine whatever is you are trying to say.
For all his faults, at least criticize constructively, but from what little I’ve seen from you, I seriously doubt you have the brain power.
That’s charming indeed, says more about you buddy and how pig ignorant you are. You fit right into the fg camp of ignorance. I can assure you that I will have a great Christmas. I wish the same to you and yours.
Ah,come on,bring this joke of governance to an end.the Irish people want and deserve a government,not this political play acting by fg.
We got what we voted for. If we had an election tomorrow, what do you think would actually change?
@(((Jason))): the govt ?
Unfortunately Peter it wouldn’t. An election tomorrow would see most of them reelected. And as recently proven, FF/FG are the same party who control the power and opposition. Nothing will change, Irish water will remain. The only way to rid the country of it is to remove ff/fg from power
Does Mary Lou realise most of rural Ireland have been paying fir water for years ?
God that argument annoys me so much. It’s the most blatant example of begrudgery imaginable. Grow up.
@Lurfic: Is it the fact that he pays for his private water supply that annoys you or that he also has to go ahead then pay for your water on top of that? Can you clarify your annoyance?
@John Reese: Someone shouod tell that stupid woman that many of her constituents don’t have a front and back door, all they have is a sleeping bag.
Begrudgery for what. How else do you expect people in rural areas to get clean water Your comment is annoying because of how uninformed it is.
Same can be said for urban. Should urban dwellers pay more for Shannon water when it happens to to the greater distance? No just like rural people should not have to fork out
Tis grand for some..
MLMcD & LeoV texting again during Leaders Q time
How hard can it be to find out how much upgrading the water network is going to cost. Once that’s done create a fund, if required apply a scaled tax for water usage. Set a standard rate that everyone pays and then problem solved. Now we are all used to the idea that water as a utility being free but the simple truth is that it’s not completely free. If we all contribute then the cheaper it will be to fund
@Éannus.. nobody is “used to the idea that water as a utility being free”; it has never been free. The “simple truth” is that it is already being paid for, but you already know that, don’t you? TBH, I don’t really see how you see the wilfully thick approach advancing your argument..
Sinn Fein need to grow a pair and stop letting the tail wave the dog. It’s because of their initial capitulation that the lowest common denominator is setting policy on this issue. Most people in this country care about the environment and want to see sustainable policies put in place. It’s time for SF and FF to prove they’re grown-up parties and tell Paul Murphy and his populist mates where to go with themselves.
Mary Lou is a two faced four chinned fcuker SF Agreed with Water charges until foetus face Murphy stole the lime light and they collect water charges in NI Such hypocrisy !!!
But they will bring out a tax that everyone pays that will be used to pay for water. Is that not illegal after the ECJ ruled that owners of wells do not have to pay for water and therefore well owners who pay this tax are making the government break the ECJ ruling?
http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/well-owners-evade-threat-of-water-levies-26807579.html
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/water_services/water_charges.html#l6a2ae
“Types of water/wastewater system If your water comes from a private well or a group water scheme and you have a private wastewater treatment system (such as a septic tank) you are not regarded as a customer of Irish Water and do not have to pay domestic water charges. “
So how can these people be taxed then?
have your say