Water allowance proposal gives our leaders a chance to do the right thing

SIR, Are the hard pressed and unfairly treated Irish people finally going to get a break? After eight years of hardship, oppression and threats from our own politicians, subservient to their masters in Europe, experts have decided we should have sufficient water for ‘normal’ use, free of charge.

Should we rejoice, kill the fitted calf, open the champagne, or just be wary in case all is not what it seems.

We have had a report from the ‘Expert Commission’ on water. Their recommendation seems very reasonable and fair. We can have the water we require for normal living - we are paying for that anyway. lf we waste water over and above that, then an extra charge kicks in. It seems fair.

Unfortunately, the water issue is back in the hands of our politicians. These politicians were going to charge us for a utility we already owned. They threatened us with a mere trickle of water if we didn’t bend the knee and submit. We were, of course offered a ‘generous’ allowance. The definition of ‘generous’ depended on whether you were a politician setting up a utility, which had the potential to return a profit and thus be a valuable asset to be sold into private ownership down the road, or a householder struggling to come out of recession without adding another monthly bill to the long list you already struggled to cope with.

Fine Gael may finally be getting the message from those who ‘want to pay for nothing’. You know these reprobates: the hard left, the postman, the shopworker, the office worker, the widow, the pensioner, the person on minimum wage or those on zero-contract hours. Yes, the smear campaign is well underway.

Fianna Fáil want to abolish water charges and Irish Water, or do they? It’s hard to know what a politician means when he says something as the code-breaker isn’t readily accessible to the ordinary man /woman in the street. Sinn Fein adjusted their position early on in the campaign. Labour resemble Fianna Fáil in 2011 - born again, but not sure of which faith they really belong to yet. They are trying to find themselves, but don’t equate Alan Kelly to Labour; a different party altogether, l assure you.

So, we wait on our politicians to do the right thing for the people. Can we be hopeful they will? Your guess is as good as mine !

Sincerely, Gerry Cournane, Tralee.