[Hell9]

So there is talk of bringing in water charges.. this could obviously impact us all, particularily the hydro guys. Does anyone know if the charge would be a flat rate, or based on usage (ala electricity)..?

I think its fair to guess that it will be a similar/same setup as what they have in the UK.. is that flat rate or charged per use?

WATER charges are on the way in two years' time, whether meters are installed in every house in the country or not.

The Government yesterday admitted it will take three years to install water meters across the country and the plan won't start until next year. But the IMF-EU deal says water charges have to come in by 2013.

Coalition sources said the plan is to have the meters installed in time, but flat-rate charges would come if the process was not finished.

But there were contradictory statements on the issue from the Government yesterday.

Junior Minister Fergus O'Dowd said the Cabinet was not expected to sign off on the charges until usage could be measured in every home.

But he also said a nationwide water metering programme would only begin next year and it will take workers until 2014 to complete this installation.

It is believed that €1bn per year could be raised following the installation of water meters in 1.1 million homes around the country.

Mr O'Dowd said the coalition would create Irish Water, a new state company to take over the water investment maintenance programmes of the 34 existing local authorities.

He said every household would have a free allowance for water and would only be charged when they used this up.

"I understand it could take up to three years in total to install water meters in every household.

"It can be very expensive to install meters where people are living in blocks of apartments," he added.

Presume

"From the briefing I have received, approximately 1,800 people will be employed for a period of three years to install meters in every house in the country. I presume that when all of that has happened, there will then be a decision on charging."

However, Fianna Fail's Willie O'Dea asked if people working in water maintenance in local authorities would lose their jobs as a result of the plan.

Mr O'Dowd said it would not make sense to move all 3,000 local authority staff working in that area to the new firm.

- Patricia McDonagh

Just another example of the EU-IMF trying to screw the Irish people, when the water isn't pissing out through leaks on the mains and is not full of cryptosporidium (sp?) then maybe we'll pay.

Until then they can fuck off with themselves.

[Hundred Gram Oz]

Water charges, what exactly do we pay rates for? Fucking ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Hundred Gram Oz

Water charges, what exactly do we pay rates for? Fucking ridiculous.

Ha wait till ya hear about their plans to scrap the tv licence.....

THE GOVERNMENT may introduce a household charge to replace the TV licence – aimed at forcing those who don’t have a TV set but watch television on their computers or mobile devices to pay.
The Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said in the Dáil yesterday that “young people are not necessarily at all accessing television through their television set” and that the department is attempting to “measure the extent of evasion”.
RTE reports that there is a review currently underway in his department on the current system, and that he had “an open mind” on the question of introducing a new household charge.

You pay vat when you buy a laptop or device and whan you pay your broadband bill, now these shower of c##ts want to add another tax on to you.

Gotta love the screw the poor as much as you can and that will fix the economy mindset
Think it's time to get a well drilled.

[Hell9]

seen a similar article in the metro today re: water charges.. i wont look forward to them...

As for the tax on watching tv shows on mobile devices, well fukk that.. that makes my blood boil..id be v surprised if it came through, but still, the fact they are even talking about it (looking into it) makes me angry!