Minister Alan Kelly TD: Abolish Water Charges Now!

The Constitution makes it clear: The people of Ireland, as the originators of Bunreacht Na hÉireann and the creators of the State itself, are the sole and sovereign power from which all Government powers derive.

All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people, whose right it is to designate the rulers of the State and, in final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy, according to the requirements of the common good.
Article 6.1 Bunreacht Na hÉireann

The creation of Irish Water and the divesting of our local authorities of the powers to manage our water and infrastructure have enabled and initiated an unconstitutional, corporate-grab for a basic resource; the purpose of which is to transfer the control of this public good into the hands of private interests and satisfy an illegally imposed private debt.

Where the Government claims Irish Water will not be privatised:
Under the Lisbon Treaty it must be both privatised and deregulated to avoid violating Articles (106.2 TFEU) and Article (107 TFEU).

Where the Government claims it will conserve water:
It has already been noted and publicly admitted that 40% of our water goes unaccounted for through leaks in the existing system. It has also been stated that where people are not using enough water, Irish Water can increase their charges. This is not, and has never been, about water conservation.

Where the Government claims it is ‘obvious’ that we must pay for water:
Our water services have been, and still are, paid for through direct taxation. That these public funds are misappropriated (along with the rest of our taxes) for the purposes of paying off private bondholders is not the responsibility of the people of Ireland. This misappropriation also amounts to fraudulent misrepresentation, in that these taxes are supposed to be earmarked for use to the public benefit but instead are diverted, through some creative accounting, to private interests with whom we the people have no agreement and to whom we are in no way indebted. The claim is then made that no public funds exist and that these new taxes and measures must be introduced to pay for local services.

Where the Government claims the meters are not ‘smart’:
This is a patent lie, and these meters represent the first step in the building of a proposed smart-grid via Local Agenda 21 which is currently being implemented through Dublin Regional Authority amongst others.

Where the Government claims it will save money:
Nearly one hundred million euro has already been spent on consultants and an estimated cost of almost two billion will be required to staff Irish Water. The Government also turned down an offer from Siemens to install the meters at no cost, but opted instead to allocate three hundred and fifty million to cover the cost of installing through a variety of sub-contracts with connections to Denis O’Brian’s Siteserve Corporation. This is about profit and gain. It is to the detriment of the people and is in violation of the following:

Article 45.2 (ii):
That the ownership and control of the material resources of the community may be so distributed amongst private individuals and the various classes as best to subserve the common good.

Article 45.2 (iii):
That, especially, the operation of free competition shall not be allowed so to develop as to result in the concentration of the ownership or control of essential commodities in a few individuals to the common detriment.

Article 45.4.1°
The State pledges itself to safeguard with especial care the economic interests of the weaker sections of the community, and, where necessary, to contribute to the support of the infirm, the widow, the orphan, and the aged.

We the people will no longer tolerate the corruption that is evident in the administration of the State, nor the continued theft of our resources and unnecessary suffering within our communities. We demand an end, and are mandating the abolishment of these charges.