PUTTING CONTROL OF WATER IN PRIVATE HANDS IS 'IMMORAL AND UNACCEPTABLE'

Putting the control of water into private hands was "immoral and unacceptable", a member of Sligo County Council has said.

Independent Socilist Councillor Declan Bree received unanimous support for a motion urging that the Council confirm its opposition to the privatisation of water services and that the local authority will oppose any attempts to hand over water and waste water systems to the private sector.

Clr. Bree said world consumption of water was set to double every twenty years, while at the same time water sources were being polluted, diverted and depleted.

"There is growing concern that the continuing involvement of the private sector in infrastructural development in this country will encourage an approach which treats water as a private commodity to be sold off to the highest bidder," he added.

There is undoubtedly a preferred option among many in Government circles, and in PD circles in particular, to extend the involvement of the private sector in water supply, development and maintenance, Clr. Bree claimed.

Water services entailed four basic functions, purifying the water that went into the system, delivering it to households and businesses, cleaning up the water that left those homes and businesses and extending and repairing the network of pipes, pumps and plants.

"Currently in Ireland there are efforts being made to hand over water and waste water systems to the private sector out of the local authority system.

"It is the view of a growing number of people, and this is supported by evidence from a number of countries, that reliance on public private partnerships (PPPs) to support and advance such a fundamental national infrastructural resource is contrary to the national interest.

"In my opinion, putting the control of water into private hands is immoral and unacceptable," he went on.

Clr. Bree said that at local level, the cost of waste water treatment and provision of water for domestic use was increasing side by side with the handing over of this asset to the private sector.

This would lead to a financial crises within local authorities with costs transferred eventually to consumers, business and farming.

"Within the local authorities, one of the starkest outcomes of the avenue to complete privatisation which relies on public private partnerships, was a loss of skills and knowledge which had been a fundamental part of local government activity in this country for almost 200 years.

Clr. Bree quoted the C.E.O. of Veolia Water, Mr. Henri Proglio, who had stated in an interview two years ago that "water, like oil, is getting scarcer."

"We're living on Earth in 2005 with the same amount of water that was available in 1900, while in the meantime the global population has quadrupled," he added.

Clr. Bree said it was clear that what was bad for humanity could be good for business, as Veolia's revenues increased by twelve per cent last year.

"At this stage in the development of our economy it should be abundantly clear that water and waste water are pivotal to the further development of our national infrastructure and must not be privatised," he added in proposing his motion.

It stated :"Recognising that the issue of water treatment, its maintenance and delivery is of growing public concern, and further recognising that water is not a private commodity and is best retained under the control of the public sector, this Council confirms its opposition to the privatisation of water services and will oppose any attempt to hand over water and waste water systems to the private sector."