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WATER CHARGES WERE the topic of discussion yet again during Leaders’ Questions, with Barry Cowen criticising the fact that water meters may only last 15 years.
Fianna Fáil’s environment spokesperson asked Tánaiste Joan Burton if she believed that spending a large amount of money on meters was appropriate at a time of chronic hospital overcrowding and “almost non-existent” community care for elderly people.
“Meanwhile, back at the ranch you and Irish Water are spending €500 million on 1.2 million meters that may only have a lifespan of ten years,” Cowen continued.
Burton said the meters will last a minimum of 15 years, saying they have worked for “significantly longer than that” in other countries.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterBarry Cowen asks Joan Burton if water charges will continue to be the government's 'nemesis' this year. #Dáil
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) January 15, 2015
The Tánaiste said it was a pity that Cowen didn’t “get a chance over Christmas to read up on it”.
“Fianna Fáil is looking to identify anything and everything it can to denigrate the people who work in water services,” Burton stated, adding that the party seemed to have lost its “taste for investment” when it “lost the banks”.
She said Ireland’s water infrastructure desperately needed funding as raw sewage is flowing into several rivers.
Burton said Cowen’s concerns were ”a total ball of smoke”, adding: ”Your concern ought to be with clean water for the people of the country.”
Cowen was not impressed, labelling Burton’s response “lazy and predictable”.
He said the Tánasite had “sat idly by not knowing what was going on around [her]” when water meters were first discussed at Cabinet.
Burton said it was “ironic” that Cowen was lecturing her while Patrick Honohan, the governor of the Central Bank, was “retelling the very sad story of how Fianna Fáil chose to expend €34 billion on two failed entities”.
Also during Leaders’ Questions, Burton assured Mary Lou McDonald that the Government would fulfil its promise of providing 5,384 social housing units this year.
“Take it from me deputy, we will be delivering on this commitment,” The Tánaiste said.
Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan brought up the issue of active drug users sharing homeless accommodation with recovering addicts.
Burton said therapy and rehabilitation was being provided for service users where necessary.
During the ensuing debate, Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien said that his own brother was homeless due to a heroin addiction. When Labour’s Eric Byrne asked why his family didn’t take him home, O’Brien told him “shut your mouth”.
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Joan’s future in the Dail after the next GE is in doubt according to reports in last w/ends paper.Hopefully those reports are correct,her constant deflection is annoying at this stage.
Doubt, there’s no doubt. She’s working out her notice.
I’d love to be a Labour Backbencher looking at that and figuring –
“There goes my political career for latching onto that latch !”
It’s called reaping what one sows…
It was reported in a the National Media that Labour Party “thinkers” wanted to manipulate information such that 10,000 farmers would be conned into marching in Dublin – They actually wanted it to happen – that’s the kind of sick thinking that exists within this Party –
Time to cut it out like a cancerous growth .. !
Dublin West can expect a ton of spend next year.
If anyone is an expert on balls of smoke it’s moan burton.
The current Government are a ball of smoke for bankers and developers and Privateers in my opinion …and an awful lot of other Irish people’s opinion as well !
Hope fully come the next election Joan will disappear like a ball of smoke herself.
Atta boy , Joan. Don’t mind the idiots.
Joan too, should have been more worried with providing clean drinking water for people instead of worrying about how to set up a billing company to charge people for water thats not fit for use. If they had spent the money on infrastructure first instead of wasting hundreds of millions on their pet quango people might take her a little bit serious but her and enda have shown their hand and we know theyre just looking at ways of squeezing the taxpayers of this country for the benefit of their friends in high places and their masters in europe
Atta girl, surely, Rory, or is there something we don’t know about? ;)
joan brutal couldnt lie straight in her bed
Jaysus but she’s bet down ugly!!!
Why is Joan more popular than Gerry in the latest Red C poll? It just doesn’t make sense.
Is she 65…she does not give a rollox….she is off to the long grass with a boot full of money…criticize her all you want but she will be laughting up our holes soon. Why we vote in people near retirement without accountable time on their hands I will never know.
I’d be the last person to fight FFs corner, but hearing burton respond to their legitimate question about water meters with smarmy comments about the banking inquiry was infuriating. At this stage the ceann comhairle should be viewed with equal contempt for allowing this affront on our democracy to continue.
The clown comhairle should be in a home
What planet does Moan Burton live on if she thinks it takes 5 mins to change a water meter
Probably the same one where Enda thinks the minimum wage is €35,000.
That comment alone says it all. Not a clue about what’s happening around her.
Three Mins actually….
She is going to walk away laughing with a fat pension so she is going to say what she wants and provoke who she wants and still get paid…. There is something seriously wrong with that picture.
I heard when meters are failing they give wrong readings that have cost customers a lot of money, smoke my eye so glad we hopefully will stop this truly unjust bill ….
Would you care to tell us where you heard that?
The meters are second-hand units which were provided by a, wait for it – US company. Probably the same US company who want to get their greedy hands on IW when the government sell us out more.
Oh just feck off Joan and take the rest of that shower with you
The second Water tax will be defeated its a scam to pay 4 the bail out so is that poperty tax and usc all for the banks a life time of debt.40 years at least._…._
Never thought I’d say it but she’s as pathetic as Kenny and worse than Useless Gilmore and Fat Rabbit …..
Bye bye Joan. We hardly knew ye.
It’s reported when Joan’s husband says good morning, she replies I can’t say it is but when I pull back the curtains I’ll have the information you need,and I’ll let you know by lunchtime.
She’s talkin about smoke and water, I might add fire to it n burn my meter!!
Where the mirrors. …. Smoke and mirrors
Lol Donal, it’s like a new game for all, rock-paper-scissors-smoke n mirrors-water n fires (after 1st Bill) hope we will on smoke n mirrors….
It’s a hive of birds Joan…a f%&king swarm of bats… That’s what it is.
Can the Journal start photo shopping close ups of certain individuals please? especially around Lunch Time. I have had to put the aul sandwich in the bin there!
Mother of god is this self serving idiot still hanging round??
Someone pass along the message that both labour and the water fiasco is finished.
Name the “other countries” Joan….Always love this one” Other countries do this or regulate that and we must do likewise”arguements of our elected betters.At least then we could go and research them and find out how good or bad they really are.In this case I’d saya rule of “Murphys law of combat” applies. “Your water meter[personal weapon] was made by the lowest bidder applying for this Govt contract.”
Can smart meters cause cancer? Smart meters give off RF radiation.
Whatever the % it does not matter. A Increase in volume of meters in a populated area increases radiation in that area. http://www.cancer.org
IW think this is a good idea? Our government allows this to happen WTF
So I take it your against mobiles, baby monitors and microwaves as well
Fire alarms contain small amounts of radioactive material. That doesn’t mean I am going to throw them out anytime soon.
No, now at all, but it is my right to decide what devises are in or around my home. Not trying to scare monger. There are many ways to monitor volume of water used without Radiation Meters with a 15 year life span at horrific cost to the people of Ireland. Needless to say I don’t agree with IW methods.
There are also many ways to heat your food or communicate without a mobile. What’s your point?
Clearly the fluoride level needs to be upped as well- to keep the Irish sedated and creating money for the medical mafia.
So much for progress in Ireland . What % increase in sickness since 1950?
No money in health of course.
The face that launched 4.5 million of long faces.
Joan a ball off smoke is what a lot of Labour TDs will be after the next election.
Eamon and yourself have seen to the demise of this once proud Party
Jog on Joan before I give you a good shellacking (whatever that is)
I believe you Joan, I mean it’s not as if yourself or anybody else in Labour as given reason not to be believed.
Speaking of which,how come The Journal hasn’t posted an article on Enda Kenny being caught out lying through his teeth again?
Some one must have dropped that fool Einda on his posterior when he was a baby. As it’s through his posterior he mostly speaks. Thank God he didn’t teach for too many years.
There is no smoke without fire.
Wish Joan would disappear in a ball of smoke ..
Deleting comments again, Journal? Why not just delete the whole article if you don’t like what people are saying?
We can use Irish Water to finally quench the ” ball of smoke” that Labour has become!
Much like Labour’s integrity so, can this “Woman” ever manage to open her mouth without infuriating everyone.
She’s Podge and Rodge’s sister don’t cha know ?
Smoke on the water.And fire in the sky.
She’d know all about hot air, right enough!
The Labour party is about to disappear into a ball of smoke after the next election.
Is it just me or have a number of comments been removed from this thread?
Je suis Paddy !
She’ll be disappearing in a ball of smoke soon…
Burton has come a long way since been held hostage in her government car she can really dish it out in the Dail all hard nosed thick necked people and she will call 2 ur door with a big smile like the rest of them and no matter what u say to them they will still smile back at u pigs.
@007
iJoan was hardly held hostage in her car, she could have moved to a Garda car sooner if she wished…but she’s not such a quick thinker and neither are the people that were there to ‘protect’ her. You can tell that by the way she behaves in the Dáil…someone asks a question and because she doesn’t know the answer she goes on a waffle so she can end up on a different topic…possibly a topic that some ‘handler’ told her was going to be topic of the day but it never got a mention.
And that’s the sad reality….she no longer has any connection to the people she purports to represent. It is the way life works, you think that the people you knew are moving somewhat in the direction you are because you change acquaintances and circles of friends as you slowly move up not realising that you’re leaving those first people behind…and then you wake up in a different world, that although small, feels more important because your lifestyle depends on it.
Joan is a victim of her own success and has now herself, victimised the working class because she no longer has anything in common with them, like most of the Labour Party she has been corrupted by wealth and power.
Who to vote for in the election I’ve no idea …I hadn’t a clue …none of the present parties and certainly not Lucindas nameless clueless party …
Most importantly… none of the people who have already “tried” and failed through sheer arrogance. I’d rather hand the power to a bunch of transition year students. I would trust them a lot more than any of the usual suspects
I find it very worrying about the censorship on all TV channels and in ALL Irish newspapers re: Irish Water protests throughout Ireland and the heavy hand of the Gardai. Nothing being reported about the arrests over last few days – which included 2 young teenagers. The number of Gardai at some of these protests is shocking. SHAME on all the reporters – also nothing from Independents.
Are kenny and burton really that thick? Remember the nearing of the end of the last govt.The 2 of them were attacking ff and greens left right and centre, they knew ff and greens were going to be obliterated.But what have they done, they have made themselves more unpopular than the other 2 gangsters. Which leads me to conclude they are only in it for themselves.I am sure there must be some genuine fg/lab people who feel betrayed but they are going to have to grow a set of balls or they are doomed. ( probably to late already ).Put the people 1st not the party.
Joan Burton is not living in the real world !
Irish Water is a major mistake another unnecessary Quango.
Water should be handled by each county council as heretofore.
They should charge €50 per house to invest in new infrastructure through the Country.
Simple but effective solution
@Dermot, choosing the simple effective solutions requires integrity. When you have none, the route to quagoland is the preferred option.
Waffle waffle – self opinionated – Rich D4 Politician – RTE Darling – roll on election and the end of another failed politicain
Im still not paying Joan.
It’s like the PDs and greens all over again- Joan of labour can’t believe she will get the boot-
But that day is coming-
Full employment by 2018. thats the kind of waffle that was going around before the bubble burst.
iJoan says shes listening but insists on putting water meters in the ground while most of her electorate want her to stick them up her a**e.
That moaning woman makes me sick. Like listening to someone scraping their nails on a blackboard. Horrible noise.
Joanie, theres no meter going in here…. if you force it in.. the fairies will get it. You can SHOVE your privatisation drive. Labour Traitors.
“1.2 million meters that may only have a lifespan of ten years” or until Monday next with the talk about a bad frost hitting here?
The Irish Margaret Thatcher
Moan Burton at it again
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