*Donna McGettigan TD (SF). Photograph: Joe Buckley
TWO OF Clare’s TDs have become embroiled in a row with claims of ‘false accusations’ and ‘mistrust’.
Earlier this month, Sinn Féin tabled a Bill before the Dáil to prevent the Government from reintroducing water charges. This was defeated following a vote.
Over the Easter weekend, Clare TD, Donna McGettigan (SF) in social media posts accused Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independents of allowing water charges to be introduced following the vote.
In a graphic titled ‘Which Clare TDs voted to ban charges’, a green tick is underneath a picture of McGettigan while a red x is underneath images of Cathal Crowe TD (FF) and Joe Cooney TD (FG) while ‘absent’ appears under a photograph of Timmy Dooley TD (FF).
Deputy Crowe hit out at the post by McGettigan. “I think that it’s important that Clare’s voters know how their TDs are representing them in the Dáil and it is important that this false accusation is corrected.
“Deputy McGettigan posted a picture which states that both Deputy Joe Cooney and I voted against banning water charges, and that Minister Timmy Dooley was absent for the vote. Furthermore, Donna said that – and I quote – ‘Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Independents allow for water charges to be introduced’. The phrasing that Deputy McGettigan has used on her post is very disingenuous and is not accurate. Let me explain why: Legislation to implement water charges has already been repealed. This was contained in the Water Services Act in 2017. I want to be clear on this: this Government has no intentions to introduce water charges. It is not in the Programme for Government and there has been no work done on the relevant Statutory Instruments that would be needed to change this,” he added.
Crowe explained, “The 2017 Act includes provisions to charge households for excessive water usage. This is where a house exceeds 213,000 litres per annum and this came into effect all the way back on the 1st January 2018. This is a huge amount of water and was calculated as being 1.7 times the average household use and this limit is there to encourage considerate water usage to protect both the environment and the water infrastructure.
“This Sinn Fein motion, if passed, would have had the opposite effect as it would have removed this provision and would have required replacement legislation. The Government has a massive legislative programme to get through in the lifetime of this Dáil and the introduction and progression of a bill to change anything to do with water charges would not be a productive use of Oireachtas time. Let me say it again: this Government has no intention of imposing water charges and Sinn Fein know this. I am disappointed that such inaccurate and misleading information was shared with the people of Clare,” he stated.
Meelick native Crowe outlined, “It is only natural that we should differ on matters relating to policy and legislation, and indeed it is the basis of a healthy democracy. However, this attempt to misrepresent the actions of other TDs within the same constituency does nothing to serve the constituents of this county and I would say it does them a disservice. However, this recent misleading commentary from Deputy McGettigan shares worrying shadows of the spiteful and disjointed politics we often see play out in other major Western countries and I would certainly not welcome its arrival here. All four Clare TDs have a mandate from the people and – as another elected representative said this week – this “makey up stuff” benefits no one.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, McGettigan referred to promises in the past from Fianna Fáil. “An article appeared that a recent briefing document prepared for the Minister, when he was new to the role listed finalisation of the draft household water conservation charge , as a high level priority. Fianna Fáil’s 2016 general election manifesto , ‘an Ireland for all’ stated that the party’s core priorities included abolishing Irish Water and Irish Water charges. So just like Fianna Fáil’s promise in the lead up to the last general election that 40,000 housing units would be delivered, you can see where mistrust sets in.
“The bill would repeal the aspect of 2017 act that allows Uisce Éireann to introduce a customer charge for excess Water use and because the Government refuses to support that, mistrust is also there. The final nail needs to be put in the coffin of water charges and that is what this bill is about. Minister James Browne has said that they would not be brought in at this time, we are saying not be brought in at any time,” she added.
