Sir, – Is Fintan O'Toole (Opinion, January 14th) not being rather churlish when he mentions the previous form, displayed by executives in Irish Water, on consultant spending? About €100 million was spent by some of these executives on an incinerator which never materialised, while only €50 million was spent on consultants for water that continues to be delivered. While the incinerator burnt €100 million with no outcome, it is yet to be ascertained if Irish Water allowed €50 million to run down the plug hole. We should live in hope! – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’CONNELL,
Loughnagin,
Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Sir, – One of the sadder aspects of the controversy about consultancy inputs to the fledgling Irish Water is that, apart from anything that Bord Gáis was to bring to the table, the water sector is one area where there is virtually unlimited indigenous professional experience and skill over several generations. The depth of knowledge and experience among central and local authority civil engineers and technicians is impressive enough, but Ireland also has an unequalled international reputation in water engineering through firms like Mahon & McPhillips and Harper & Fay from the 1960s onwards and their successor operations today, as well as control and instrumentation contractors such as Kentz, and metering system suppliers such as CSL. Much of that international effort was pioneered from Kilkenny, Minister for Environment Phil Hogan’s base, and where John Tierney once served in a senior local authority position. Water therefore is one area where you would imagine the creation of a national operating entity would be relatively easy and inexpensive to do. – Yours, etc,
DENIS BERGIN,
Schoolhouse Road,
Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina, US.
Sir, – The recent revelations concerning consultants’ fees paid by Irish Water of €50 million is an interesting one. On the one hand we have local property tax which initially was to go towards funding local authorities, now going almost entirely to capitalise Irish Water. No doubt this will allow this essential public resource then to be sold off to a private consortium in the short term. On the other hand we have local authorities who will now be strapped for cash to do essential repairs and maintenance of the infrastructure to which they are responsible.
The cost of a proper independent building inspectorate for the average house in the UK is €370 per dwelling (£300). This cost is almost self-funding and comes at minimal extra cost to the UK taxpayer. Given the recent figures for house completions in Ireland for 2013 at 7,500 this would suggest that the €50 million spent on consultants by Irish Water would fund 18 years’ worth of inspections by local authorities in a new comprehensive building control regime. That’s 100 per cent independent building control inspections for every house in Ireland for free for nearly two decades. I wonder which is better value?
The recent calls by construction industry stakeholders for postponement and amendment of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations SI80 appear to be badly timed. Major stakeholder and consumer groups have stressed the industry is not ready and have called for a comprehensive system of local authority (or licensed inspectors) similar to that in the UK. One hundred per cent independent inspections for all buildings completed in the State would give complete consumer protection and finally independently regulate the construction sector.
The Government response has been lack of funds – we don’t have them and we must do more with less. This would not appear to be the case however. – Yours, etc,
MAOILIOSA MEL
REYNOLDS,
Sandycove Road,
Sandycove, Co Dublin.
Sir, – I’m delighted that the press, radio and TV are on to exposing the outrageous behaviour at Irish Water. In media terms, it’s one of the biggest leaks we’ve ever had. – Yours, etc,
PADRAIG S DOYLE,
Pine Valley Avenue,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Sir, – On the one hand it is staggering to think that Ministers of the calibre of Phil Hogan and Fergus O’Dowd, could be so vague and poorly informed about the consultancy costs involved in Irish Water. On the other hand it is not in the least bit surprising. The pressure on Ministers to be present at events, clinics, funerals and local meetings in their constituencies, means that even with competent advisers and staff, they cannot humanly master their briefs. Until there is a distinct separation between the roles and responsibilities of Ministers and TDs, I fear Ireland will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past. Political reform matters and every effort needs to be made to persuade voters and political movements to earnestly usher in a new era of politics.
I am a grassroots priest, who works with, meets and admires the energy, efforts and commitment of politicians. I am pro-politician, but frustrated with our antiquated political structures that foster repeated cycles of mistakes, discourage some excellent people from running for office, exclude impressive talent, and place heavy hurdles in the way of non-typical candidates, diminishing their electoral chances. Political reform is an imperative now. – Yours, etc,
GERRY O’CONNOR,
Elmdale Park,
Cherry Orchard,
Dublin 10.
Sir, – Will Irish Water now hire a consultant to consult on consultants’ consultations? – Yours, etc,
KEVIN DEVITTE,
Mill Street,
Westport, Co Mayo.
Sir, – What I utterly fail to understand is how it comes about that presumably competent people are appointed to various positions in public and semi-public organisations, such as Irish Water, at comfortable salaries, but then, when any decision has to be made or anything specific has to be done, consultants have to be called in, at enormous salaries, to tell them what to do and how to do it. But then what do I know? I am only a professor of Greek. – Yours, etc,
JOHN DILLON,
Thormanby Road,
Baily,
Howth, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Perhaps they’re installing a system that will turn it into wine? –
Yours, etc,
GERARD LEE,
St Agnes Park,
Crumlin, Dublin 12.