COUNCIL OPPOSES PRIVATISATION OF WATER SERVICES

RECENT ATTEMPTS TO portray the imposition of a water tax as being about water conservation are total nonsense. The creation of the Irish Water company is about paving the way towards privatisation of our water services. It is a demand of the troika and a long sought wish of certain multinationals, said Cllr Declan Bree when he proposed a motion opposing the privatisation of water services at this months meeting of Sligo County Council.

Cllr Bree said “There is growing concern regarding the proposal by the government to remove the provision of public water from local authorities and hand over the services to a centralised Irish water company.

“The shedding of thousands of local authority jobs and a reduction in the role of local government in the provision of water and sanitary services is clearly unwelcome.

“This Council, like council’s across the country has a long record of providing an effective public water service.

“Those of us involved in local government all recognise that the years of under investment by successive government in water service infrastructure has created significant difficulties and we also recognise that the continuing failure of national government to invest in water infrastructure further undermines the service.

“Recent attempts to portray the imposition of a water tax as being about water conservation are total nonsense. The creation of the Irish Water company is about paving the way towards privatisation of our water services. It is a demand of the troika and a long sought wish of certain multinationals.

“If the water tax is successfully imposed, the next step will be to sell off the service. The experience of the privatisation of Eircom whereby the extraction of profit became more important than the development of services and has ultimately resulted in the company going into examinership show the inevitable result of the policy of privatisation.

“The experiences of Britain where water services have been privatised should also serve as a warning. Profits for shareholders have become much more important than investment in water services. Charges increase year on year and in many areas people regularly face water shortages.

“The decision of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and of SIPTU and the IMPACT trade unions to resist any proposal to privatise the water sector must be welcomed.

“What we need now is investment in our water infrastructure, not privatisation.

“I therefore propose “That Sligo County Council, recognising that water is a limited natural resource and a public commodity fundamental to life and health; (a) declares it’s opposition to the private control of water services; (b) expresses its concern regarding the government’s proposal to centralise water services; and (c) welcomes the Irish Congress of Trade Unions pledge to resist any proposal to privatise the water sector.”

The motion was seconded by Cllr Sean MacManus and was unanimously adopted by the Council.