Sir, – I would like to show my support for the introduction of water metering and “pay as you use” water charging. While there seems to be some controversy about the cost of meter installation, I fully support any system of directly paying for what I use, as opposed to throwing money into a bottomless pit.
The truly needy must of course be supported, but for the rest of society, the sooner we move to directly paying for what we use wherever possible, the better for society, the environment and the economy. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I am amazed that nobody appears to have asked how Bord Gáis was chosen to operate the new water charges operation.
What is the difference between this contract and the Lotto contract? I would also point out the excuse made that An Post could not take in the household charge over the counter, was that this service would need to be tendered out first.
Two of these three initiatives emanate from the same Government department, a department that would appear to be prone to making announcements without having thought through the mechanics of the issue.
The hard-pressed public needs to be assured that Government is capable of basic standards of management of these matters before its support can be relied upon.
The Government is simply providing ammunition to the more negative elements within the Dáil and thereby making policy implementation unnecessarily difficult. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – There are about 1.6 million households in the country, or so we are told. Based on the figures for costs (Home News, April 18th), the cost per household of supplying and installing a meter in each house would be somewhere between €285 and €400. Assuming a figure less than half way between the two of €335, the total cost would be €536 million.
The cost of financing and repaying this over a 20-year period at an interest rate of 5 per cent per annum (and this is a commercial investment) comes to approximately €806 million, just over €40 million per annum, or €25 per household. To this has to be added the costs of administration including billing and some contribution to the maintenance of the water distribution system and its updating. These are fixed costs, and do not reflect water usage.
On that basis, and assuming that there will be a significant number of exemptions, a fixed charge of €40 fixed charge for a water meter here does not look excessive to me.
The fixed costs incurred have to be paid, and I can think of no better system than to ask the users to pay. There is a fallacy abroad to the effect that for a tax system to be progressive, all taxes and public sector charges should be progressive.
This is demonstrably wrong. It’s the overall impact of taxes and spending that matters, not any individual element. I know that there is also a view among some people that it’s the Government that should pay the taxes or, failing that, only the rich should pay (Sinn Féin and the other assorted left). Ignoring, as we should, such advice, we are left with paying for what we use, and being taxed progressively on our income or wealth.
I would have no problem, of course, if the Government (or the regulator) gave households the option of paying the costs of the meter and installation up front and for an inspection to make sure it’s done properly, but somehow I do not think there would be much take-up of the offer in order to avoid paying €25 per annum. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Water charges . . .involuntary liquidation? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I scoured your pages searching for a response to challenge by Vincent Groarke (April 10th). A 13.5 per cent tax on selected bread already exists courtesy of the Labour-Fine Gael coalition: however, most consumers seem unaware of this (and the ludicrous decision to add a VAT rate of 23 per cent to a toothbrush and toothpaste!). Stealth taxes burden consumers, but provide massive revenue for government – VAT on three recent utility bills from this household amounted to €111.03, a figure which excludes carbon tax of €23.92.
Labour and Fine Gael have now decided to extort vast sums of money from consumers for an essential element for which we already pay – water. They neither have the courage nor the decency to inform the consumer what extra tax will apply to this. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – “Our elected TDs treat us as fools. They think that we don’t know that it is we, the plain people of Ireland, who paid for local services and for water last year,” writes Michael Brennan (April 18th). With statements like this, is it any wonder they do?
The Government is currently borrowing at a rate of €400 million per week from our international creditors for the provision of public services. This is information which has been reported in all national news outlets.
“All we want is the truth,” writes Mr Brennan. Perhaps in the words of Jack Nicholson, “You can’t handle the truth”. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – An Bord Gáis, An Bord Altranais, An Bord Pleanála, Bord na Móna, Bord na gCon, An Post, Coillte, Bus Éireann, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Fás/Solas, Luas, An Bord Bia, An Bord Glas, Córas Iompair Éireann . . . and then Irish Water? Just curious as to why the English language name? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Now that An Bord Gáis has been given the authority to run the country’s new water company, would it consider changing the name of a theatre in Dublin from An Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to a more appropriate name like The Grand Canal Theatre? I am sure the public would get used to this new name very quickly. – Yours, etc,