Barry Cowen rejects EU warning on water
The opposition TD heavily criticised the comment after Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes yesterday released a letter from European environment commissioner Karmenu Vella which warned Ireland will not be allowed to implement the plan.
Last month, Mr Cowen told the Oireachtas water committee his party will now not support the reintroduction of water charges.
Mr Cowen said that instead of water charges, existing legislation could be adapted to fine people who misuse public water and that this could be checked by more general community metering systems.
While Fine Gael Housing Minister Simon Coveney rejected the claim, the Fianna Fáil position led to a water committee stalemate, resulting in the group being given an extra month — until April 14 — to agree its findings.
In a letter to Mr Hayes released at the weekend, just days before the water committee meets tomorrow to discuss Mr Cowen’s plan, Mr Vella said the approach will breach European law and will fail to create a reliable revenue stream for water services.
However, while Mr Hayes supported the remark, Mr Cowen last night said he does not accept the Brussels view.
“The comments are, as usual, premature. How, for example, can it be determined how sufficient the [existing] act can be when the committee has yet to agree the means by which it can be strengthened,” he said, adding Mr Vella’s comments are “a needless intervention”.
At a separate media event, Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar said while he is not of the view that “we need the European Commission to tell us what to do” he welcomed Mr Vella’s “clarity”.
However, Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny said the European commissioner and Fine Gael comments are “choreographed”, while Solidarity-PBP TD Paul Murphy said the commission’s warning of “massive fines” are nothing new.
