Councillors clash over EU Water Directive
IF we want to protect our water usage for future generations we must make people think that every time they turn on the taps that there’s a cost involved.
That’s according to Sligo County Councillor Hubert Keaney.
He was speaking during a debate on the ‘Polluter Pays’ EU Water Directive at the July Council meeting.
Cllr Michael Clarke had tabled a motion asking the Council to make a submission to a national river basin plan which is developing water policy.
Cllr Clarke wants an opt-out clause as part of the Directive protected.
However Cllr Keaney disagreed and said he wanted to disassociate himself from Cllr Clarke’s motion.
“We have a huge responsibility to protect our water. We cannot survive more than 24 hours without it,” he told members.
“If you want to protect it you must have some measure of water usage and make people think every time they turn on the tap that there’s a cost involved,” he said.
“That’s the only way we can ensure our grandchildren can swim in our waters. It’s wrong and foolish for everyone to suggest we can do this unmetered,” he said.
“Why do we think we can do what nobody else has achieved?” He asked.
Cllr Keaney said he knew people wanted to use the optout clause “as a way to get out of water metering.”
“There’s 450,000 people on group water schemes. None of them would have survived if they weren’t metered,” he said.
Cllr Keaney said he was abstaining from the motion, which was agreed by other members.
The Council has until 21st August to make a submission.