It’s all our fault, as usual

Sometimes, you can see it coming. You know it’s going to happen, not if, but when. This week, bang on cue, “it happened”.

The good people of Drogheda and Meath are the victims, but if the correspondents in the newspapers and telly are to be believed, the rest of us are to blame. Irish Water (the gift that keeps on giving – I’ve waited ages to use that line), has come up trumps once again, but it’s our fault, as usual.

Now, straight from the outset, I have an admission to make. I didn’t pay my Irish Water bills. I broke the law, ignored the final reminders and ignored the threats to send my details to a debt collection agency. Actually, how they got their hands on those details is a mystery, as I never registered with them in the first place. I didn’t claim any water bill grants or bribes (that’s what it was lads, accept it). I had nothing to do with them in any shape or form. I have a very good reason for this.

This is the 21^st century.  Ireland, like any country in the developed world needs a world class water system. The system that we have in place is antiquated, worn out and needs substantial remedial works carried out. This costs money, a lot of money and it has to be paid for.

Watching the nightly news bulletins and the sight of water tankers, boil only notices and businesses closing down is frankly ridiculous and in my opinion, totally unnecessary.

Why then, did the powers that be invest billions in creating another quango called Irish Water? (Anybody reading this overseas please note that Ireland is burdened with quangos, Google the term).

Irish Water executives got their fat salaries, their generous expenses and their perks, but not one pipe was fixed. Lots of money was spent on a billing system to charge us for our water, but not one pipe was fixed. We read the stories of bonuses being paid, gym membership, taxi bills, company cars, PR companies, Consultants, but not one pipe was fixed. We got those useless water meters connected to our homes, but not one pipe was fixed. People stood up to this nonsense and their reward for their courage was a seat in the back of a paddy wagon, but not one pipe was fixed. The biggest crime of all, in my opinion, was the decimation and destruction of trust, generated and built up over generations between communities and Gardaí. That’s the biggest crime of all. Still, not one pipe was fixed.

Under no circumstances, was I paying for this monstrosity being foisted upon Irish people and their communities. I refused to recognise or accept it and I still do.

People living out in the countryside have always paid for their water and they never let us forget it.  Sorry lads, you chose to live in the country, tough, it goes with the territory. Some of my friends have the most beautiful homes imaginable, in the countryside, fair play to them. However, it comes with a price. My home is in the town, it does the same job, but it’s not quite as swanky. I’m connected to the water system and sewerage system. I don’t have to bother with wells or septic tanks, I don’t have to bother with taxis to get home at night, and we walk to school so we don’t need to pay for public transport. That’s my choice lads, so if you choose to live in the country, with the extra costs and inconveniences involved good for you, it’s not my problem. As I always say, it’s your decision, where you live, now, get over it.

As I said before, I failed economics at school. It was way too complicated for me and I just couldn’t comprehend it. However, I have a fair grasp of how money works, how investment works, how infrastructure needs to be financed and our yearly balance of payments, which helps contribute to that infrastructure.

We pay our taxes, VAT, VRT (apparently that’s illegal, but the powers that be conveniently forget that), USC (what exactly is it for?), PRSI, Motor Tax, LPT. I better stop, I’m running out of alphabet letters.

On 02 September 2016, I sent an email to all our local TD’s, asking them a very simple question. The economists, those that didn’t fail economics, decided that the decision that 13 billion owed by a multinational company was wrong and we don’t want or need it. All I asked was why this was the case and could they explain the rationale behind it to me, as I don’t understand economics.

My replies? Nothing, not one solitary word. Not a word of explanation from any of them. I’m still surprised; I mean they must have gotten the email.

I wonder how many pipes and leaks that money would fix in our water infrastructure?

No, it’s much easier for the opinion piece writers to sit in their leafy offices and blame the rest of us. The usual suspects will appear on Primetime, blaming us. In the meantime, the people in Drogheda and Meath will continue to pay the ultimate price.

And it’s all our fault, as usual.