‘Reform culture must replace bonus culture’ at Irish Water Unfair charges must be put on immediate hold pending wholescale reform Lack of Governance raises serious questions over who is in charge Statement by Senator Katherine Zappone The operation of Irish Water must be put on immediate hold to allow for a complete review of the structure of the operation, its billing and metering systems and the lack of customer service, according to Senator Katherine Zappone. The Senator says it’s clear that there is no public confidence in a company which has not learnt from the mistakes of the past. The need for a fair and equitable billing with proper customer service has been side-lined in a culture of over-staffing and bonuses with a lack of proper Governance. The Independent Senator is asking that the legislation which established Irish Water be returned to the Oireachtas to ensure wholescale reforms which will deliver a water service for generations to come. Speaking ahead of further nationwide demonstrations Senator Zappone said: “It is time for the Government to accept that the current structure of Irish Water has failed and does not enjoy public confidence. Those who will have difficulty in making the payments have not had their voices heard while a two tier billing system, one for those with meters and another for those without, lacks transparency and a sense of fairness. An alarmed public has not been given any reassurances. What we have witnessed instead is a return to old practices of over-staffing, bonuses and perks with little or no Governance leaving serious questions over who is actually in charge. The system is fundamentally flawed, the huge costs of bureaucracy will add to the operational costs of Irish Water and are a barrier to revisiting charges. We cannot afford to get this wrong. We have seen in our nearest neighbour what is at stake. In Southern Britain expensive charges have not prevented hose pipe bans in summer, frozen infrastructure in winter and supplies contaminated during times of flooding. It is time to call a halt in the race to bring in water charges, and for a legitimate process to begin with a focus on a system which treats everyone fairly, ensures supply to those most in need and is supported by good governance, efficiencies and conservation. The right place to restart this process is in the Oireachtas and with legislation. By taking to the streets in their thousands people have shown they are tired of waiting for genuine reform – let’s start by taking a step back now heed their calls in the delivery of our most basic of public services”
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 11:31:25 +0000
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