Ireland told to keep Irish Water utility on govt books

“As time goes by, it’s up to Irish Water to prove themselves commercially”.

Eurostat is expected to rule later today on whether the funds spent on Irish Water so far will have to stay on the Exchequer balance sheet.

“And three, given the level of non-payment the Government’s figures simply did not add up”.

The Government has noted that Eurostat have not concurred with the view of the CSO that Irish Water should be treated as off balance sheet at this stage. The idea that the €100 “conservation” grant would convince Eurostat that more than half its operating costs would be derived from income “earned” from customers was bizarrely optimistic and unlikely ever to be a stunt that would succeed.

It says the water utility isn’t getting enough money from the public to be considered fully independent of the government.

He said the government’s plan is fair and sustainable and will provide a water system fit for objective into the future.

The TD, who has been campaigning for the abolition of the charges, said this ruling by Eurostat would help with the boycott of the levy.

This one looks like the makings of another political mess – with Irish Water again in the middle. The consumer have got their bills and they know what they will be paying.

When the country was bankrupt and in no position to be able to borrow on the global markets, Irish Water was conjured up as a way of passing the EU’s markets corporations test, this was a slight of hand method to keep the cost of the maintenance of the water systems off the books. “Coming at a time of austerity it was easy to depict water charges as a by-product of austerity, just another tax imposed on a tired population”. Our water and sanitation infrastructure must be devolved back to local authorities where there is direct democratic accountability and ownership.

Fianna Fáíl’s Barry Cowen says the government has failed to follow the warnings that opposition parties have been giving for months: “It’s not as if anybody had not said “we told you so” or that we were heading down this road”. Politically, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Environment Minister Alan Kelly will be in the firing line.

Minister Coffey has not seen revised figures from Irish Water, however it is reasonable to assume that as over four weeks have passed since the 30 June deadline for registration, more people have registered.