Seamus Healy TD replies to Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Water charges

Statement From Seamus Healy TD

Seamus Healy Replies to Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Water Charges
Over 5000 marched against Water Taxes in Co Tipperary last Saturday

Taoiseach ENDA KENNY has threatened people with higher taxes if they won’t
pay water charges. He should listen to the risen people and abolish the
charges.
Last Saturdays protests of up to 150,000 people across the country shows
that we are a risen people determined to abolish this obnoxious water tax.
Even water-the driving rain, could not stop the open revolt, the anger, the
frustration of people who have had enough of austerity
This unjust tax is the straw that breaks the camels back
Enda Kenny and Alan kelly would do well to stop the bullying, listen to the
people, heed the anger and abolish this unjust tax
The story that Ireland is broke and consequently money must be borrowed to
upgrade our water system is completely false. “Ireland is still one of the
wealthiest countries in the world. Gross Domestic Product (total of all
goods and services produced) per head of population in Republic of Ireland
is greater than that in Germany, France and the UK”  (Nevin Economic
Research Institute Report 2012). The top 10,000 income recipients have
average declared incomes of 595,000 euro per year each.

The wealth of the top 300 Irish rich has increased by 12 Billion Euro from
50 Billion to 62 Billion or a gain of 200 million euro each in the two years
From 2010 to 2012  ( Nick Webb,Business Editor, Sunday Independent, March 11
2012)

The value of financial assets, (shares and deposits) held by the Irish
super-rich has doubled since 2008 to a value of  140 billion Euro which is
greater than their peak boom value in 2006!(Table 3 Institutional Sector
Accounts, CSO 2012)

A special tax should be placed on these huge incomes and financial assets to
pay for public services including the upgrading of water services
Water Charges and borrowing to develop services are merely a means of
heaping taxation on those on low and middle incomes and of protecting super
wealth and super incomes. Water Charges are a particularly unfair form of
taxation as the super-rich and the poor pay the same. Already the poorest
10% pay a higher portion of their income in tax than the richest 10% when
all taxes are considered.(Dr Michael Collins  NERI Aug  28, 2014)
Whether the borrowing is on the state balance sheet or off balance sheet,
the government is determined to make those on low and middle incomes pay the
interest and repay the capital. The government deliberately converted water
into a saleable commodity for this purpose
Water is a human right
In the eighties we marched for tax equity. Now we must keep up the protests
to prevent our tax system being made even more unfair through water charges
and to maintain the human right to water.