Ger Kenny Art writes:
“I’ve decided to make good use of my Irish Water application with an oil portrait of James Connolly. I won’t be handing a cent to Irish Water as I have already paid for the water in my taps through my income tax, PRSI, USC and the levy on motor tax. I’ve heard the arguments ‘we need to pay for water and improve the infrastructure’ and ‘all the other countries pay for water’ – well, why wasn’t the infrastructure upgraded from our tax money over the years? Why wasn’t it upgraded at the height of the Celtic Tiger when we had a surplus in the budget? Strange, isn’t it, how water quality, conservation and infrastructure wasn’t an issue at the height of the boom when the country was rolling in cash. But, now when we don’t have a penny, it’s on the agenda. We were ordered to setup Irish Water by the Troika for one purpose and that’s to collect a tax to pay the bondholder. If a politician gives any other reason, then they are a liar.”
“This government continues to ignore the people and have any dialog with us but I think now most people have had enough and are starting to do something about it. I chose James Connolly as he would never have put the needs of financial institutions or bondholders ahead of the needs of an Irish citizen. Connolly would never have taken from the pockets of the most vulnerable people in society to top up the over flowing pockets of some faceless bondholder. I only wish that we had a man like Connolly to lead us today.”
Thanks Ronan
“We were ordered to setup Irish Water by the Troika for one purpose and that’s to collect a tax to pay the bondholder.”
Close but no. We were ordered to introduce a property tax and water charges in order to create a more reliable revenue stream for government than stamp duty.
Wasn’t the amounts generated by stamp duty a windfall that was never expected?
I paid over 30k stamp duty on the last house I bought.
Pisses me off thinking of it.
Also renewing my car insurance there recently, I see there’s a government levy. As well as what, 40 euro levy for a credit card?
There’s a government levy on taking a flupping dump these days.
How much is a barrel of oil these days? 80 bucks?
How come the price of petrol doesn’t reflect this?
Don’t get me started..
Ah the fking gall of them to take the stamp duty and then turn around and demand several hundred every year without the slightest tax credit. Makes my blood boil.
Lovely painting, terrbile logic.
*terrible
Though terrbile works.
Terrbile is a great word.
“If a politician gives any other reason, then they are a liar.”
Its always nice to come across someone with an open mind.
So you said you’ve read the arguments, so you’re problem is not with ignorance.
It’s purely a comprehension issue !
What piss poor logic. This is why your career is the way it is.
People with their own water sources pay the same PRSI, USC, Income tax as you. Probably more in fact.
“Strange, isn’t it, how water quality, conservation and infrastructure wasn’t an issue at the height of the boom when the country was rolling in cash.“
The fact that they weren’t is arguest that the current protests are motivated by self-interest, not principle.
Please read that as if it was literate.
You’re a mnoster.
Please read as…”.the current government are motivated by self-interest, not principle.”
Largely, perhaps, but that doesn’t excuse anyone else.
Spot the Fine Gael keyboard monkeys ^^^^
O ho ho ho. There’s a comment I’d never expect to see from someone devoid of intelligence and an economic illiterate.
Nice try, sweetheart xxx
p.s. does Mammy Enda tuck you lot in at night when ye go to sleep? And kiss ye on the head? Does he whisper, “Good little keyboard monkey, I promise I will let you run for election some day”?
Ha ha, you tried to be smart with your first reply, but couldn’t resist reverting to type one minute later.
You should try putting some facts into your rebuttals, you might be taken seriously then. Childish responses, like all 3 of yours here. continue to paint you guys as a bunch of idiots detached from reality.
Go on admit it.You have Endas autograph.
No autograph unfortunately. But apparently, unaware to myself, I have his ear.
Sexist.
Very well executed, great sentiment too.
Is there no end to this sh*te? Finger pointing, victim mentality. There’s no revolution. The Shinners and Independents will never take power. Two from FF, Labour and FG will form the next Government (with maybe an Independent or two). The bottom feeding keyboard warriors and “protestors” can continue to take over social media and be at the arse end of decisions since they won’t get up off their arses to improve their lot.
+1
The three parties mentioned FFFGLab no matter how many times you mangle them or mix them up with a ück load of combinations won’t crack 65 seats between them. And I’m being daycent I could’a said 50. And would still be ball park enough.
The three parties mentioned FFFGLab no matter how many times you mangle them or mix them up with a ück load of combinations won’t crack 65 seats between them. And I’m being daycent I could’a said 50. And would still be ball park enough.
Are you a betting person? I’d take a tenner a seat above 65 and give a tenner a seat below.
Keep it up Alfie
While ya can
You’ve had a good week
See if you can another one out of it
Before you have to change your handle
‘n move on to another forum
1. It was a genuine offer. I gamble sometimes, and I think those three parties will take more than 65 seats.
2. What do you actually mean? I have no idea what your response is trying to say, except that it sounds a bit unfriendly.
1. FF 27-30
FG 26-32
La’hoor 4-10
My guesstimates say a max 72. 57 at the lowest end. Which I thing will be closer to real results. Note : The FG Lahoors range is wider because of possible voting pacts between the current Ministers.
Sum’ting else Al’fraud. FG and Lahoors combined seat tally won’t exceed the Shinners.
And no. I wont bet with a phoney like you.
2. You’re a blow in. Granted; you’re one one of the better ones. All the best wi’it. Regards to all.
Frilly, undoubtedly there are a load of new single-issue, anti-protest posters around here, but I don’t think Alfred is one of them. Apart from the fact that anyone with a Mad magazine reference username can’t be all bad, I also suspect he’s actually an old well-respected poster under a different name (I’m not just saying that because he’s said he likes my drawings)…
There’s a depressing rush to insist on conformity of thought in the comments around here recently, and I blame both the obvious pro-water charges trolls and the people shouting “shill!” at the first sign of a nuanced opinion. It was actually the other way around when the current coalition came to power and had some credibility. Any dissent was immediately slapped down as being from “Shinnerbots”.
It’s frankly getting f***ing boring around here.
That’s quite a change from 50, or not cracking 65, but you’re still quite low. I think the current government will be returned, albeit with a slender majority at best.
What’s the fraud/phony stuff about? Blow-in is embarrassing but comprehensible.
I don’t mean to interrupt but just reading between the lines… Is someone offering a tenner on SF getting 30+ seats in the next Dáil?
I don’t think so, Caroline. I was offering Frilly a spread bet on the number of FF/FG/Labour TDs after the next election, so that I’d pay out a tenner for every seat below 65 and Frilly would pay a tenner for every seat above that number. I think people are seriously over-estimating the electoral appeal of the other parties and individuals.
Apologies if I’ve clownsplained spread betting. I’m not sure how general it is. It’s a marvellously efficient emptier of the pocket and hollower out of the soul.
Sorry I’m boring you Mick.
But you evidently have the artistic temperament to not let anything tedious and mediocre linger in your timeline for too long
There is no way, not even a glimmer, that FineGaelLa’hoor pact will reach anything close to a majority after the next general. Not even the minimum.
So anyone saying so is up ta sum’ting.
And Caroline. I’m with you. Let’s gamble.
I’m comfortable saying Sinn Fein & others in their election pacts/ gene pool will reach more quotas than FGLa’hoor.
And for the bonus ball. They’ll top the poll in at least 75℅ of the constituencies they contest.
Ah don’t take offence, Frilly, you’re one of my favourite mainstays of the BS comments. I’m just frustrated with the quality of debate.
Sorry the ” quality of the debate” isn’t high brow enough
Wha’ can I do
But take on what’s put in front’a me
Frilly, you’re not “taking on” anything, and it’s unusually pompous for you to say so. You’re insulting people who disagree with you and muttering vague accusations of conspiracy. It’s dim and boring.
Alfraud, you write like Ayn Rand
Really? That’s it?
I feel stupid to be disappointed.
Good.
I always aim to lower the tone
Nice Painting.
Artist seems to be an idiot though.
nice painting. Excellent use of toilet paper too. nicely put too, i think this guys bang on the money/monet. typical BS commenters doin their usual thing, just being out n out disgusting negative feicers. hopefully the artist wont take any heed of what they say.
Cue the insults and name calling from some commentators! Haven’t quite plumbed the “scum”, “knacker”, “bin lid clangers” level yet but the day is young!
The name calling began almost straight away with the “Fine Gael keyboard monkeys” comment.
A terrible beauty is born
With this logic, the state can never raise any taxes on anything EVER. “Sure, haven’t we paid for it already” – whatever it is in the future. Nob.
“I have already paid for the water in my taps through my income tax”
From Revenue.ie
“The first €40,000 per annum of profits or gains earned by writers, composers, VISUAL ARTISTS and sculptors from the sale of their work is exempt from income tax in Ireland”
You have to apply for it, in fairness. Maybe he hasn’t.
He painted Michael Collins on the form instead of filling it in.
Haha!
Ha! Nailed it.
Charging for water is a requirement of an EU Directive enacted in 2000 (the WFD), with the aim of incentivising conservation of water resources. The Directive was transposed into Irish law in 2003.
The then Govt didn’t introduce water charges because their party political policies were diametrically opposed to increasing taxation – e.g. reduced income tax rates, benchmarking, etc.anyone? (and to be fair, no political party wants to increase taxation and therefore reduce their popularity, but that set of successive adminstrations was particularly irresponsible in tax-back handouts). Our governments also do not have a history of introducing anything awkward or unpopular in a timely fashion, and only do so when absolutely made to (e.g. fines from Europe over non-compliance with nitrates, septic tanks, etc. on the order of 10’s of thousands of euro per day). This generally occurs around a decade or more after the EU law is first enacted. So, we’re pretty much on target in terms of the time-lag. The stick used to get us to comply this time is bailout related rather than fines.
Experience in group water schemes (small, private water co-ops) has shown that metering dramatically reduces water consumption and therefore the cost of running the scheme (pumping and treatment costs). This is due to more careful use of water by householders (fixing leaks, using less), and also by identifying leaks in the pipe network that need to be fixed. This means that the co-ops reap the benefit of cheaper costs overall. When meters were introduced in group schemes, the charges were not implemented immediately, which meant that water users could understand their water use, get an idea of their potential costs, and take measures to reduce their water usage before pay-by-use was introduced.
I support water charges and water metering as part of a system in which water is conserved and used wisely by the consumer and also by the organisation distributing the water (through making sure leaks are minimised). The existing water system has many problems – it has developed piecemeal, cannot deliver sufficient quantity in some areas, has chronic leakage rates in many areas, etc. etc. It needs quite a lot of investment, and a co-ordinated, national or regional approach (rather than county by county) makes sense. However, I share the frustration in seeing the way in which direct payment for water has been introduced – a ridiculously over-blown corporate structure, the metre installation debacle, the usual companies/individuals benefiting from contracts, the poor corporate governance and over-reliance on consultants, etc. etc. All followed by the inevitable roll-back so that the excessive initial costs will take longer to be recouped, and the original intention of the Directive (water conservation) is completely lost.
Yes we have to install the meters by next year or face penalties. We have had numerous water shortages -metering and repairs are necessary.
As I understand it we made a commitment to the IMF to privatise the water supply so instead of a metering system run by local councils we were compelled to set up a national company, in a short time, I’m sure we paid for the best consultants and managers to get this into shape and that the business model is excellent.
The concern now is the flow of money, not water, to make a viable business.
(We will still have to pony up for the repairs and upgrades to the system which is sickening for anyone who paid the Stamp Duty)
Also, dat tash
dayum!