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TD PAUL MURPHY has said that he’s not surprised that a report suggests water charges will be imposed in Ireland, but that it was up to the Dáil not the committee, to make the final decision.
This is in reaction to RTÉ reports that say an expert commission on water may recommend that a “modest” water charge be implemented here.
The report leaked to RTÉ suggests that sources from the commission say a water charge of some description may need to be put in place in order for Ireland to satisfy its legal obligations to the EU.
Paul Murphy, who will be the representative of the Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit on the Dáil committee to consider water charges, has responded to the reports saying that the decision didn’t depend on the commission, but on the commitment of Fianna Fáil to their election promises:
“Whatever the Expert Water Commission says will not change the reality of this political debate. A majority of TDs elected to the Dáil were elected on a platform which included opposition to water charges and Irish Water. This is because of the mass movement of protest and boycott, which saw 73% boycott the latest bill.
Fianna Fáil will hold the balance of power between anti-water charges and pro-water charges forces on the Dáil committee and in the Dáil itself.
“What happens with water charges in this Dáil term will be decided by whether they stick to their election promises and the recent definitive anti-water charges position they put in their submission to the commission.”
Water commission
The water commission was established after Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael came to an arrangement to temporarily suspend the controversial charges which had led to a widespread protest movement.
Just one week after the establishment of the commission in July, its chairman Joe O’Toole was forced to resign after giving an interview to the Irish Examiner in which he said he thought people should pay their water charges.
Paul Murphy also called the findings of the commission as “the least surprising news of the year”.
“This is the Commission which was described as a ‘political exercise; to find a method of having ‘enough sugar’ on water charges for people to accept them by its former Chair, Joe O’Toole.
“Close to €300,000 of public money has been spent on this ‘political exercise’, designed to pile on pressure on TDs to break their election promises to oppose water charges.”
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The winter vomiting bug (norovirus) had been around for some time now. What I cannot understand is Joe public visiting hospitals despite requests not to. Next of kin of course must visit. I’ve seen so much recently of aquatinted people and neighbors …. we can only stop infection by following requests of medical experts.
You get people going to A&E that really don’t need to be there.. the minor injuries clinic will sort you out for things like sprains, stitches, and minor fractures. A&E should be for medical emergencies like serious fractures, head injuries, spinal injuries, cardiac and respiratory problems. If you go to A&E with the sniffles or a minor injury, you are part of the problem in the Irish Health Service. If it’s serious enough, you’ll be referred from your GP or the minor injury clinic or the swift care clinics. They may even get you a spin in an ambulance.
@David: It’s not always practical. Minor injury clinics don’t operate 24/7. The one in Smithfield for example is 8-6 excluding weekends and bank holidays.
Go to the equivalent of SouthDoc then. Get your referral letter, if required, it’ll save you money as you won’t pay the A&E fee, provide reassurance and free up space in the A&E. Most doctors can put a few stitches in… it comes down to common sense. There are an awful lot of hypochondriacs in Ireland.
@David: The problem with crowding is the numbers who require admission and patient flow which is at a standstill. It’s all well and good telling people to first go to their GP, but high acuity patients need to go directly to an A&E. Minor injury units need to operate 24/7. GP’s should have direct access to diagnostics which again should be open 7/7. Triage should also be able to redirect inappropriate attendees back to GP’s.
Another thing that’s strange is people turning up to A&E with not medical issues. Do they not realise theres a out of hours doctor facility Care Doc or South Doc that are more than capable another thing I don’t get is people queuing at a doctor surgery coz they’ve a cough or cold.
Their GPs are still on holiday. If they attend Southdoc they must pay for the service. By going to the CUH they produce their medical card and get it for free and then ring their local radio station complaining about having to wait 8 hours in A&E.
Southdoc don’t charge if the patient has a medical card.
People who require a certificate for work because they have a heavy cold will have to get it from someone. I don’t see the issue with them queuing too get it from their doctor.
Charge everyone the a an e charge. If it is a real emergency you will get admitted and therefore no charge for a and e. Other than that see a GP and let them refer you to a and e if deemed necessary. Medical card holders can see out of hours doc for free but many go straight to a and e as that is free too.
Get well soon, all of ye.
To avoid €100 fee you need a gp letter or a medical card. Seems strange.Ambulance cases or gp referrals only.
Gosh! sick people over the Christmas / winter period, that’s something we’ve never seen before
no mention of the skeleton crews running the hospital last week…
yes yes I know someone will say that Hospital staff are entitled to holidays too, of course they are but not all at the same time
Have seen first hand the volume of patients presenting to an A&e in Cork over the Christmas period. It’s not a case of Skelton staff, in fact there were staff including doctors drafted in from other areas of the hospital to assist with the influx of patients. The doctors and nurses I have met were nothing short of excellent and have given the very best of care to all in the A&E.
No one should be allowed into hospital with the flu unless they’ve been vaccinated. Ditto other preventable diseases. Anyone pissed should be heavily fined.
Awful awful hospital. And shite doctors who will discharge patients without even interacting with them and telling them what’s wrong. Great nurses though.
have your say