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Updated 12.30pm
THERE ARE CONCERNS that the water crisis, which hit the North East this week could happen in other parts of the country.
Around 70,000 people in Louth and east Meath have been left without water since a pipe burst last week.
When the problem was first announced, locals were told it would be fixed on Saturday, but the deadline continued to be stretched out as time went on. Yesterday Irish Water said it would probably be Friday “and maybe even the weekend” before normal water services are restored.
Work is underway this morning to replace the broken pipe with a special fitting that was manufactured in Belfast. This is the fourth attempt to try and fix the ruptured pipe.
In its latest update, Irish Water said mobile tankers are delivering to vulnerable and priority customers.
It also said tankers carrying almost 280,000 litres from reservoirs in Louth, Ardee, Collon and Tullyallen are distributing water directly into the network to provide water to Staleen and Termonfeckin/Clogherhead pump stations.
There are a number of stationary tanks and bulk water containers in place for people to get water, details of which can be found on the Irish Water website.
The company reminded customers to bring clean containers and to boil the water as a precautionary measure. Customers in theses areas are also being asked to conserve water until further notice.
‘Stop trying to undermine Irish Water’
Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ 1, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy discussed the state of water pipes in other parts of the country. He said:
There are competing priorities for Irish Water all over the country in terms of antiquated pipes that need to be fixed.
Addressing criticism of Irish Water’s response to the situation in the North East, Murphy said that a huge coordinated response did kick in once it became a national emergency.
People need to stop trying to undermine the good work that Irish Water is trying to do.
“Irish Water is working very well with the local authorities to try and find a suitable response to this, to get the fix made and to prioritise that piece of pipe.”
When it was put to him that there is a “big risk that what happened in the North East could happen anywhere in the country at any moment given the state of the infrastructure”, Murphy said:
Of course it’s a risk, that’s why we wanted to set up Irish Water, that’s why we have to put in so much money to invest in new infrastructure around the country.
Head of Irish Water Jerry Grant said Irish Water needs €3.5 billion up until 2021. Yesterday he told Morning Ireland that it has money for this year, but needs €640 million next year and €700 million in 2019. When asked if that money is guaranteed, Murphy said:
It’s not guaranteed at the moment … we’re in discussions at the moment about how we’re going to find that certainty so Irish Water can make strategic plans over a number of years.
When asked if Irish Water is now competing with health spending and with all other spending. The Minister said:
“Of course it is, obviously it takes in a revenue from commercial streams, but it is competing with other demands on the national exchequer … that’s a difficulty but I’ve got to fight that fight in cabinet myself.
The idea of water charging was to ensure there was a certain amount ring fenced on an annual basis for investment in water services.
When asked about refunding the €170 million to people who paid their water charges, he said, “I think people should have to pay for their water” but added, “I have a responsibility to implement the will of the Oireachtas as expressed by the committee on the future of Irish Water”.
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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At last
Some bloody common sense
Ridiculous idea
No thank you
@Isthatright: I work with a guy from London who’s a staunch remainer and even he reckons a European Army would make him pro Brexit. It’s a ridiculous idea.
And are the tinfoil hat brigade still the tinfoil hat brigade even though it turns out they were correct??
@Isthatright: we were lied to in Lisbon 2 referendum thst there would be no european army
So now the US is out if the picture . Who is going to provide the military hardware for this European army . It wouldn’t happen to be France and Germany would it .
@Paul Smith: Or Sweden, The UK, Israel even Russia and China produce military equipment on a par or exceeding US military tech at much lower cost and without the surveillance and ultimate control that The US maintains over much of its equipment.
@Paul Smith: the French and German armies have a combined total of approximately 320,000, for a combined population of approximately 150 million, not exactly massive.
@Andrew Giles: you don’t need large armies during peacetime. Their a waste of money .
@Paul Smith: Germany are still restricted on the size of their army, but it is still larger than that of France, but not by much, compared to the US, whose population is just over double that of France and Germany, yet they have a million strong army including reservists, but, yes, a European army is not a good idea
@Andrew Giles: thanks for that but I served in the British military for 22 yrs . Sierra Leon , Bosnia , Kosovo , Iraq , Afghan , Cyprus , Falklands , Kuwait , Jordan , Canada , Belize. Kenya , Germany .
@Paul Smith: Some fun facts for you. Switzerland has a population of 8 Million, it has a standing Army of 120,000 and 800,000 Reservists. The Swiss haven’t fought in a battle for over 200 years. In 1939 at the start of WWII the Swiss mobilised 400,000 Troops in just 3 Days, and within the week had 900,000 men armed and trained ready to defend their country. Yet the Swiss are renowned for their neutrality, have never invaded another country, have never started a war with another country.
Ever wonder why they haven’t been successfully invaded since the middle ages?
@Mick.: it’s not the size of your army that matters . Small armies have often been more successful that large armies . Apart from the two world wars and the second Boer war Britain has always had a tiny army . Imperialist Germany , France , Austria and Russia maintain armies over 600 thousand . Imperialist Britain had an army of 120 to 140 thousand . The Brits only deploy 50,000 troops to their colonies that cover a quarter of the world .
@Paul Smith: I notice you failed to add in the “Colonial Troops” in your numbers, the number of native troops in India during the Raj period before WWI was around 1.5 Million, that not even counting those in their African Colonies, the Kings African Rifles counted 300,000 alone.
@Mick.: sepoys where not part of the British army . They where employ by the East Indian company . The British army in India only accounted for 4 percent of troops on the ground . In rear cases Indian troops where deploy to other parts of the empire but their main role was in India . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14218909
@Paul Smith: The East India Company was dissolved 1858.
But are you saying that these Regiments of Indian Troops were not in the British Imperial Army?
1st Horse
2nd Lancers
3rd Cavalry
3rd Skinner’s Horse
4th Cavalry
4th Horse
5th Cavalry
5th Horse
6th King Edward’s Own Cavalry
6th Lancers
7th Hariana Lancers
7th Light Cavalry
8th Lancers
8th Light Cavalry
9th Deccan Horse
11th Cavalry
11th King Edward’s Own Lancers
12th Cavalry
12th Cavalry
13th Duke of Connaught’s Lancers
13th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers
13th Lancers
14th Murray’s Jat Lancers
14th Prince of Wales’s Own Scinde Horse
15th Lancers
15th Lancers
16th Light Cavalry
18th King Edward’s Own Cavalry
19th Lancers
20th Lancers
20th Lancers
36th Jacob’s Horse
Bihar Light Horse
Calcutta Light Horse
Central India Horse
Chota Nagpur Regiment
Governor General’s Bodyguard
Guides Cavalry
Lumsden’s Horse
Poona Horse
Punjab Light Horse
Silladar Cavalry
1st Brahmans
1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)
1st Punjab Regiment
2nd Bombay Pioneers
2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
2nd Queen Victoria’s Own Rajput Light Infantry
3rd Brahmans
3rd Gorkha Rifles
3rd Madras Regiment
3rd Sikh Pioneers
4th Bengal European Regiment
4th Gorkha Rifles
4th Hazara Pioneers
4th Prince Albert Victor’s Rajputs
4th Punjab Infantry Regiment
5th Bengal European Regiment
5th Gorkha Rifles
5th Light Infantry
5th Mahratta Light Infantry
6th Bengal European Regiment
6th Jat Light Infantry
6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles
6th Rajputana Rifles
7th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Rajputs
7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles
8th Gorkha Rifles
8th Punjab Regiment
8th Rajputs
9th Bhopal Infantry
9th Gorkha Rifles
9th Jat Regiment
10th Jats
10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles
11th Gorkha Rifles
11th Gurkha Rifles
11th Rajputs
11th Sikh Regiment
12th Frontier Force Regiment
12th Pioneers
13th Frontier Force Rifles
13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment)
14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs
14th Punjab Regiment
15th Ludhiana Sikhs
15th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
16th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment)
17th Dogra Regiment
17th Infantry
18th Infantry
18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
19th Hyderabad Regiment
19th Punjabis
20th Duke of Cambridge’s Own Infantry
21st Punjabis
22nd Punjabis
23rd Sikh Pioneers
24th Punjabis
25th Punjabis
26th Punjabis
27th Punjabis
28th Native Infantry
28th Punjabis
29th Punjabis
30th Punjabis
31st Punjabis
33rd Punjabis
34th Royal Sikh Pioneers
35th Sikhs
36th Sikhs
37th Dogras
38th Dogras
39th Garhwal Rifles
40th Pathans
41st Dogras
42nd Deoli Regiment
43rd Erinpura Regiment
44th Merwara Infantry
45th Rattray’s Sikhs
46th Punjabis
47th Sikhs
48th Pioneers
49th Garhwal Rifles
51st Sikhs
52nd Sikhs
53rd Sikhs
54th Sikhs
55th Coke’s Rifles
56th Punjabi Rifles
57th Wilde’s Rifles
58th Vaughan’s Rifles
59th Scinde Rifles
61st Pioneers
62nd Punjabis
63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry
64th Pioneers
65th Carnatic Infantry
66th Punjabis
67th Punjabis
69th Punjabis
71st Coorg Rifles
71st Punjabis
72nd Punjabis
73rd Carnatic Infantry
74th Punjabis
75th Carnatic Infantry
76th Punjabis
77th Moplah Rifles
78th Moplah Rifles
79th Carnatic Infantry
80th Carnatic Infantry
81st Pioneers
82nd Punjabis
83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry
84th Punjabis
86th Carnatic Infantry
87th Punjabis
88th Carnatic Infantry
89th Punjabis
90th Punjabis
91st Punjabis (Light Infantry)
92nd Punjabis
93rd Burma Infantry
94th Russell’s Infantry
95th Russell’s Infantry
96th Berar Infantry
97th Deccan Infantry
98th Infantry
99th Deccan Infantry
101st Grenadiers
102nd Prince of Wales’s Own Grenadiers
103rd Mahratta Light Infantry
104th Wellesley’s Rifles
105th Mahratta Light Infantry
106th Hazara Pioneers
107th Pioneers
108th Infantry
109th Infantry
110th Mahratta Light Infantry
111th Mahars
112th Infantry
113th Infantry
114th Mahrattas
116th Mahrattas
117th Mahrattas
119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment)
120th Rajputana Infantry
121st Pioneers
122nd Rajputana Infantry
122nd Rajputana Infantry (God’s Own)
123rd Outram’s Rifles
124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry
125th Napier’s Rifles
126th Baluchistan Infantry
127th Baluch Light Infantry
128th Pioneers
129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis
130th Baluchis
150th Infantry
151st Sikh Infantry
152nd Punjabis
153rd Punjabis
154th Infantry
155th Pioneers
156th Infantry
A lot of Regiments that you say were not part of the British Army in India.
@Mick.: a large reason for their successful defence is their military. But, it’s not the only reason. Geography and the relative independence of each canton and ethnolinguistic group also have large parts to play, too.
@Paul Smith: I was brought up in it for 12 years out of my Father’s 22 years. Osnabrück, Aldershot, Maidstone, Farmborough, back to Osnabrück and finally Perham Down near Tidworth
@Andrew Giles: My battalion was in Osnabruck in the late 80s . I spent a yr there before been posted to Natheravon near Tidworth for two yrs . Left there in 92 went to Cyprus for four yrs . 1st Bat Royal Irish Rangers .
@Paul Smith: my father was in the Royal Engineers
@Andrew Giles: Yeah I figure that when you said in Maidstone . I was in Canterbury in 2000 for 4 yrs .
All part of the great globalisation plan. No borders everyone friends. One world mono culture. Actually just one huge world free market. No thanks.
Macron the new Napoleon,
@Michael Maher: Saddle up the aul grey mare…
What has FF FG got to say about it,thats what we want to know.
@@mdmak33:
Once a sheep, always a sheep
NATO – a peaceful force to ensure stability and peace
EU army – well the name says it all – army – we’ve survived all this time without it, relying on NATO (admittedly had some bad situations of doing nothing)
So what is the point of an army bar another money sinking exercise that some in power can get their friends to manage (hello retiring Merkel)
Trump was right in what he was saying
It’s the 21st century – most people/nations are getting along together nicely, the last thing we should be doing is militarizing Europe – should be doing the exact opposite or in this case nothing more!
@Nicholas Kelly: And what do you think make up the component parts off NATO? Armies…
The whole idea of European army is disgusting, where’s the pro lifers outrage at this?!
@Colette Kearns: Holy jaysus will you give it a rest.
@Colette Kearns: Are you not pro life?
@Liam O Reilly: No don’t think so, you??
EU needs to stay as it is. No further integration. Keep setting our own tax rates. Look after our own defence. Keep the number of laws being made in Brussels to key non economic areas such as the environment and food, safety and product standards only!
Again the main two will set the pace, there’s a blue print to follow dripped out in pieces for the public to swallow. And if u kick the bucket then so does you opposition /opinion. But the cabal continues apace as always this is the EU not the EEC which we all joined.
At least Mark Rutte has spoken up, and the Netherlands is a member of NATO, deafening silence from Leo Varadaker of (supposedly) neutral Ireland, and similarly silence from all the pro-European parties including SF, what`s going on ??
The era of post WW2 USA securing Europe has to come to an end at some point, we need to take our own defence seriously. A joint task force makes a lot of sense imo, shared hardware, logistics and operations would not only reduce our reliance on NATO (caught USA) but increase security and projection.
Patricia McKenna warned about this over 20 years ago, God bless her.
Italy will be the backbone of any European army.. the Italian fleet is the worlds fastest &can reverse all engines in less than a minute. their tanks have five reverse gears, plus an added forward gear for ease of getting the tank into the right direction ie away from the frontline
@Dean Anderson: You can also id their war planes very easily, they are the ones with hair under their arm pits.
When is an army not an army – when there are Dutch soldiers in it. Not a clever idea this EU army, a chance for the likes of France using it to recover its long lost colonies and relevance on world stage
So we were lied to in the Lisbon 2 treaty that tgere would be no european army
Don’t know how relevant or realistic M&M’s opinion is. Merkel is stepping down and I doubt Manu will be re elected. He’s very unpopular at home. Just wondering if people know that English will no longer be an official language of the EU after Brexit as no country apart from the UK has it as their official language.
@Anne Marie Devlin: There’s one other country with English as an official language, as well as one other. I’ll give you a clue, you live there :)
@ED: No. Our official language in the EU is Irish. What I said is not my opinion. The EU are already making preparations for this. English will still be used as an operational language for the time being
@Anne Marie Devlin: eh no it’s not! Irish is an official language of the EU. It’s not the official language of Ireland!
@joe: I take that back! You are correct.
@joe: we will need to improve our knowledge of Irish immensely, because EU documents will cease to be available in English
@Anne Marie Devlin: We need to improve our knowledge about a lot of things as we are totally insignificant in Europe without the UK backing us up all the time (for their own interests), like spoilt teenagers we talk like we mean anything because we are used to it.
Language will be the least of our problems.
Trump is playing the markets. Lockheed Martin I scratch your back you scratch mine. I’ll get our EU minions to pump up the PO’s for you. Let’s to a nice little options trade and go long.
An Eu army is needed.. The world is a hostile place we need militaristic solutions to many mainly defence and emergency problems….
@ben: you think creating armies isn’t hostile? Dope!
@Colette Kearns: nó dumb dumb
@Colette Kearns: Shouldn’t Ben be allowed express his opinion without having to suffer you addressing him with the abusive term of “Dope.”
I think it’s called ‘manners.’
“protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States”hmm LOL. Merkel and Macron – the devil and and her bi#tch “That’s what hypocrisy looks like.” A photo of Merkel, Putin, Erdogan and Macron conquers the net – google it. Sweet photo with two leaders who notoriously break human rights.
NATO, dominated by the Pentagon and the US military-industrial complex, must be dismembered for the sake of humanity.
If a European Army does that it is a step forward.
@brendan fitzsimons: why what’s wrong with NATO .
have your say