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JUNIOR MINISTER FINIAN McGrath has said that he will pay his water charges, after it emerged this week that he had yet to do so.
The Independent TD released a statement this evening confirming that he would pay the charges.
McGrath and his fellow Independent Alliance TD John Halligan both came in for criticism from senior figures in Fine Gael including the Taoiseach on Wednesday after it emerged that they had not paid their charges.
When questioned, McGrath said this evening that he was still “deeply sceptical” about Irish Water and the service that it could deliver, but that he would pay the charges in order not the distract from his new duties.
“The manner in which Irish Water was set up and its approach remains personally unacceptable to me,” said McGrath.
I’m still deeply sceptical about the motives and the ability of the service to deliver.
McGrath said that he was aware of the review process that was in place to determine the future of water charges and that his not paying would not greatly change the situation.
“I know that priorities must be set and I do not believe that my not paying the water charge at this stage will greatly alter the situation for Irish Water,” he said.
The debate has moved on and it will be a matter for Dáil Eireann in due course.
It is clear to me that not paying the charge will become a significant distraction to other important work and I’m determined that this will not be allowed to happen.
To that end I will now regularise my situation with Irish Water and pay my charges.
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I hope it can go ahead.
@Alan Byrne: No reason now for it not to go ahead.
Let 40,000 people at a gaa match, Let 70,000 people at a music festival no problem. But for the love of God don’t let a partner into the labour ward to support a pregnant woman or visit their new born child they’ll infect the country. Give me a break. Priorities people please
@Dan Linehan: He said that something like electric picnic could go ahead with vaccinated people only. Vaccination rates among pregnant women is quite low. Also, hospitals obviously contain a lot of very vulnerable people. So there is consistency in relation to vaccination rates and vulnerability.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: then separate vaccinated women from non vaccinated women its pretty simple.
@Dan Linehan: sounds like some one wasn’t allowed into a Labour ward. Talk about off topic.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: he didn’t even say that. He said that he’d prefer if the people in croke park were vaccinated, given the size of the crowd. EP losing the run of themselves here, again.
@Dan Linehan: Apples and oranges.
@Dan Linehan: unfortunately partners cannot be let in due to the risk of infecting vulnerable new born babies with a killer virus. Have some cop on.
@Dan Linehan: an unvaccinated partner? If so then NO
There’s too much logic being expected here for this to work out.
Super Spreader Event.
@John Lynch: Correct, exactly what the hurling final was but wouldn’t have been had it been confined to the fully vaccinated only.
Can Garth Brooks headline Fri sat and sun too ?
@CAMILA REMONA: Garth doesn’t have enough friends in high places i’m afraid…
Can someone ask Tony
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/23/almost-5000-covid-cases-linked-to-cornish-music-and-surf-festival-boardmasters
5K cases linked to this one. Latitude one of Mr. Benns 500% increase locally., Lolpolooza all local counties around area sent public health that if you were at to get tested immediately. This was vaccine certs, lateral flow tests etc. The fact is it will not nationally cause an explosion but locally people will pay a price, it maybe a vulnerable loved one’s life. If it was my area and my kids I’d march on the local council. Their is no genuine pinimg here for local artists, its let me print money. Get the guitars back into pubs and small venues the lifeblood of an artists life back open. Liam Gallagher will survive, the local wedding band might not.
@Albert Brennerman: EP is proposed to be open to vaccinated people only. The couple or examples you were able to find (out of hundreds) in Europe were not. If you knew anything about EP (which you clearly don’t) you’d know that there are thousands of jobs and millions of euro to the economy at risk.
If EP went ahead it would be soooooooo amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing.
GAA is more PC!!
Tough one for Micheal!!!!
@Chris Gaffney: he made his bed by attending the hurling final. He has to deal with the consequences.
@Chris Gaffney: Houlihan only saving Martin and Coveneys blushes over attendance at final.These scammers and chancers should not be RULING us.Time for change people.
Release the Beast,
The big Cheese Dr Tony has stated its ok for people with vaccines to party outdoors!
Tony Holohan will not allow it because he knows the rate of infection will rise with so many people, being asymptomatic in one place, and they will be infecting each other making for incidences of covid, he knows this but still persists on the vaccines, & he and others like him will call the lady gp from northern Ireland a charlatan for revealing the truth.
There are interests and interests in the world of arts, entertainment and sport.
Just right..
have your say