Sir, – In view of its vast and frequent expenditure on consultants – with catastrophic consequences in the case of Irish Water – should we now expect the Government to call in further consultants to review the work of their colleagues? – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’FIACHRA,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – It seems that people do not really object to paying for water. Rather they object to paying for Irish Water. – Yours, etc,
JOHN THOMPSON,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – It is interesting that the Government’s reaction to people’s fundamental dislike of Irish Water and the water tax is a muttering about a failure of communication. They don’t seem to think it is anything to do with a tax that the general population believes it already pays, a new entity that is massively overstaffed, cost millions to set up and already is looking to pay bonuses. The fact that it is the worst kind of quangoism doesn’t seem to matter.
One wonders if the Government has too many special advisers and spin doctors and not enough “normal people” who reflect the general populace’s views. Maybe they should get rid of a few of their current advisers and take on some people more in touch with the population. They could call them “hearing aides”. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – I write regarding the fiasco that is Irish Water. I agree completely that we should pay for our water. However, I have no interest in funding another unnecessary and expensive quango that exists solely for the purpose of squeezing ordinary people to enrich those who already have more than enough. Our county councils should be capable of administering this service. Until Irish Water is disbanded and the water charges collected by the councils, I will not be paying water charges. – Yours, etc,
CLIODHNA McGUIRE,
Sligo.
Sir, – In this country we are being squeezed and squeezed, with no let-up in sight. Young and old are rightly fed up. Would the Government not consider deferring the water charges for at least five years? That way we would have a breathing space and hopefully the economy might have recovered somewhat. The water charges right now are the last straw for many who are almost on the breadline. It’s just too much coming on top of all the other taxes, restrictions and savings. A little compromise might help reduce the anger, which is at boiling point. Are the authorities listening? – Yours, etc,
JANE NYHAN,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Your front-page article on Saturday (“Coalition braced for protests over water charges”, November 1st) appeared on the day that so many Irish people, throughout the country, chose to march in protest against the charges. However, my concern was that on this very serious topic the second half of the article was little more than your newspaper facilitating the spinning of comment made by unidentified people to further their own ends. The following phrases were used by the writers: “many within Fine Gael have privately complained”, “some complained”, “but others complained”,“one Cabinet Minister said”, “one source said”, “sources said”, “a Government spokesman said”, “the prospect was dismissed by senior Government figures”, “a source said”. Is it not ironic that when your readers pen a letter to you, on any subject, there is the sensible requirement to provide full name, address and contact number?
If The Irish Times decides to continue using so much unattributed comment, you might consider publishing it in a regular column called "Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi". – Yours, etc,
PADDY GOGARTY,
Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It is a wonder how the Government has managed to make a complete mess out of the setting up of Irish Water and making the argument that clean water needs to be conserved by some system of metering and costing. The lack of credible leadership has resulted in many thousands losing faith in this Government and has given an opportunity to modern-day political pied pipers to lead many of us unwittingly to support a position of opposition without any realistic solution to the fact that we are still living on borrowed money. – Yours, etc,
FRANK BROWNE,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – We were battered into submission over the last seven years by endless austerity measures. The attempt to burden us now with the unintelligent and shambolic establishment of Irish Water and to extract every last cent we have in water charges is the final insult.
What have we received in return for our forbearance and stoicism? Zilch.
Forget the Celtic Tiger. It’s a sleeping tiger this Government is dealing with now. – Yours, etc,
MARIE MORRIN,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Enda Kenny’s mention of an increase in the higher rate of income tax as an alternative to water charges is far more likely to encourage protest and resistance than to deter it. The vast majority of protesters probably pay little or no tax at the higher rate and would welcome this outcome with open arms. Not exactly a potent threat. – Yours, etc,
TOM HOGAN,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – Your front-page report referred to Paul Murphy as the “Anti Authority Alliance TD” (“Senior Coalition figures seek rethink on Irish Water”, November 3rd). Was this a simple error, or perhaps circumstances have blurred the distinction between authority and austerity? If, as Wittgenstein wrote, “the meaning of a word is its use in the language”, then perhaps these words are now indeed interchangeable. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD
LOMBARD VANCE,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.