Government water charge proposal is a desperate attempt to cling to power – Adams Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams TD has said that the government’s package on water charges all about is giving the government a lifeline to run for its full term of office, not about relieving the pressure on those who cannot pay water charges. He said that after all the hype, water charges are here to stay. The water metering programme will continue. Metered charges are coming in and there is still no constitutional right to water. Mr Adams said that the Government was engaged in a PR offensive in a desperate attempt to cling to power for the next year, and that the maximum possible turnout in protest against water charges on December 10th was needed to deliver home the message once and for all that water charges must be scrapped. Gerry Adams said: “Let us remember that today has been brought to us by the will of the people and by the tens of thousands who demonstrated on the streets and in their communities. Their demand has been very clear. It was for this additional water charge to be scrapped. “So, today is not about the government having a ‘road to Damascus’ conversion. It is not about the government being part of a genuine ‘democratic revolution’. It is not about the government trying to find a relief from the water tax for hard-pressed households. “What your proposals today are all about is giving the government a lifeline to run for its full term of office, not about relieving the pressure on those who cannot pay water charges. “The government has built up today’s announcement for the last number of weeks. They are engaged in a PR offensive in a desperate attempt to cling to power for the next year. “Yet, after all the hype, here’s what we now know after today’s announcement. Water charges are here to stay. The water metering programme will continue. Metered charges are coming in and there is still no constitutional right to water. “This is just an introductory offer from the government. Once water charges are in place they will only go up. This has been the history of all these charges. The government had the opportunity to get rid of water charges. Sinn Féin has shown how this can be done and how it can be paid for. The government refused to get rid of water charges. “That’s why we need the maximum possible turnout in protest against water charges on December 10th to deliver home the message once and for all that water charges must be scrapped. “Today’s exercise is a PR offensive to try and quell the unprecedented levels of protests the government has been facing. It shows that people power is working. We must continue with the protest campaign. “The government hasn’t got the message yet. They say they have been listening to the people opposed to water charges. If they were listening they would know that the people are demanding the scrapping of water charges and not a package to sweeten the deal.” ENDS
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 15:48:16 +0000
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