Listening To The People

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Enda Kenny and Fionan Sheahan of the Irish Independent at the Dublin Web Summit this afternoon

“So it’s a case of having listened very carefully to people, acknowledged that things were not done, in all cases, in the way they should have been, and move on from there.”

Enda Kenny this morning

“I am not inclined to hold a referendum. I do think it is important here that we should look at the question of strengthening the law. Obviously no political party in Dail Eireann has a proposition to privatise Irish Water. It is already enshrined in law. It will not be privatised.”

Enda Kenny this afternoon

We have listened carefully to public anger over water charges – Taoiseach (Niall O’Connor, Independent.ie)

Taoiseach Rules Out Referendum (Fionan Sheahan, Independent.ie)

The Irish Water debacle: why the State is heading towards being ungovernable (Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times)

Previously: Whose Water Is It Anyway

Pic MerrionStreet.ie

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65 thoughts on “Listening To The People

  1. Papa P

    Put it in the constitution then….

    Or just say “Times have changed” when you eventually do privatise it.

  2. Mark Dennehy

    “I am not inclined to hold a referendum.”
    “It is already enshrined in law. It will not be privatised.”

    Is it me, or does anyone else think that either he doesn’t understand how law works or he’s really hoping that nobody else does?

  3. Fergus the magic postman

    He’s winging it, and flying by the seat of sh1ty pants at the moment. Can’t see him being around for long more.

  4. Walter-Ego

    Wouldn’t believe a word Kenny says. It’s obvious that this is being set up for privatisation. He can dress it up anyway he likes. We need a Referendum to ensure our natural resource will stay in public hands.

    1. Selfie Sensation

      Oh please, the last place this should be is the constitution. The Constitution is a fundamental sauce of law that is not to be tinkered with especially for these sorts of contemporaneous matters and issues. This is even even more so the case when other methods can be used to achieve the same outcome.

    2. Just sayin'

      Public opinion in 1983 felt we needed a referendum on the burning issue of the day – abortion. We’re still paying for that meddling. Constitutions should only be changed when necessary.

      1. ABM's Bloodied Underwear

        It does need changing. Governments can’t be trusted and legislation can be changed easily.

  5. andyourpointiswhatexactly

    That person holding the placard at the protest in town on Saturday is right.
    “Enda Kenny is an assface.”.

  6. Murtles

    “No to Water Charges”, “No Way, We Won’t Pay”, “Reject the Water Tax”
    Yet Enda interprets this as all the people want is to know how much they’ll pay.
    Listen to the people and hearing what they are saying seem to be miles apart in Enda gombeen head.

  7. Tom Stewart

    And where pray tell is it enshrined in law that the supply of water in Ireland won’t be privatised?

    1. Tom Stewart

      Even if it is (which I doubt) laws are easily changed. To put it in the constitution (via referendum) would be much more secure. It could only be taken out by referendum.

      Calling for a referendum to guarantee the non-privatisation of water as a provision of the Irish Constitution.

      1. epson aculaser c100

        It is in fact, a fact, that Irish Water including the details of the clients of Irish Water,
        can actually be sold/privatized at any time, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance.

        m.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-kerrigan/never-mind-the-small-print-trust-us-30620675.html

        ……

        1. scottser

          they’ll ‘do a seanad’ on it – hold a referendum with a dodgily-worded clause that allows them to sell off everything else including irish water but not the water itself. so when we reject it they can draw a line under it and you’ll never see a referendum on it again. in 10 years time you’ll be entitled to 6 months free water with every million tesco clubcard points – mark my words.

  8. Atticus

    The important thing is that we need clarity on this issue as there hasn’t been enough clarity on the issue of Irish Water and we need the government to provide the clarity that we so desperately need.

    Apparently the clarity that we so dearly crave is not quite ready, but the good news is that the much needed clarity will be ready next week.

    It’s worth noting though, this will be the fourth time the government has furnished the illusive clarity.

  9. gallantman

    The bit where he employed twice the amount of people required, created a new HSE style beast, and we now have to pay their salaries. When is he dealing with that??

    1. Sido

      I refute any claims Edna makes about the honesty and purity of **** that flows from his mouth thus: Roscommon Hospital.

  10. epson aculaser c100

    sort of calling kenny a liar….maybe hes just uninformed

    It is in fact, a fact, that Irish Water including the details of the clients of Irish Water,
    can actually be sold/privatized at any time, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance.

    m.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-kerrigan/never-mind-the-small-print-trust-us-30620675.html

    1. 3stella

      True, we first pointed this out here on Broadsheet in early Sept as the clearest indication of a possible sell off of Irish Water was in the customer terms and conditions, the line read…

      “Irish Water may disclose the Customer’s data to third parties in the event that it sells or buys any business or assets, in which case it may disclose Customer data to the prospective seller or buyer or such business or assets; if Irish Water or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, in which case Customer data held by it about its Customer will be one of the transferred assets.”

      This line has now been removed from their updated terms & conditions, Irish Water said this line should never be included. Go figure…

  11. Praetorian

    His ‘advisors’ are doing a crackin’ job on nailing his coffin…he clearly hasn’t got the grey matter to think this shite up on his own.

  12. bisted

    …did Denis make it for the NAZDAQ bell ringing from the summit? I see his deputy was there anyway.

    1. Frilly Keane, Anyone?

      Jesus I hope it worked

      T’would be pretty shit if the Paddy_ies were to blame for a fall in the day’s trading there in Wall Street

      As well as lads with square glasses and laminates not being able to tweet pics of Ava LongWhatEver on the stage couch in a shorty skirt

  13. Lilly

    The lights are on but no one’s home. Put it in the Constitution, it’s the only way of keeping his cronies sticky hands off it.

  14. Kolmo

    Did anyone get to the bottom of why Sheehan went into hyper-attack-mode defensive when quizzed about the Anglo tapes and the timing of their release on VB…that stank I thought…

    1. Lilly

      Sheehan does as Sheehan is told. He goes a bit ape though when challenged by people other than his handlers.

  15. Blonto

    It’s a PR master piece. Spout the same crapology day after day until we get a pain in our noids listening to him.
    The intellect in politics is really at an all time low.

  16. martco

    I (like many I suspect) am really confused by this man, it seems to be that he is either:
    deaf
    has a low IQ
    is just operating in an alternate dimension that I’m not tuned into
    has some pathological need to lie and obfuscate and thinks that the people he leads lack basic intelligence

    I’m going for the last option, at this stage if he stated his name was Enda Kenny I would question it

    Really, how is someone like this in charge of a country? How did that happen? Is anyone else amazed at this?

    1. andyourpointiswhatexactly

      I used to laugh about Enda and his “inner eejit”. Now I think that it has externalised and that’s all there is to him now.

      1. scottser

        my god, enda has turned into bertie. when they play the ‘thick’ card, they know we feel like we’re giving out to the kid who eats paste.

    2. chimpy

      All 3 of your options. He’s a teacher and thats about it. I have no idea how people can vote for the main parties. Get the fupp out!

      1. Drogg

        Yup after he makes us all overpay for water he is going to frack the s**t out of his home county to ensure his popularity stays high.

  17. Mr. T.

    “I am not inclined to hold a referendum”

    Don’t worry Enda, that’s not your choice to make.

  18. Mr. T.

    If a political leader appears to be wavering a lot and appears not to be in control or on message it usually signals that changes are afoot in the background and he is being deliberately undermined for a heave.

    Simon Coveney.

  19. Anne

    You’d really get the feeling he’d be best suited to primary school teaching. I’d go so far as even the principal of a primary school.

    He needs to go.

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