Simon Harris TD

European Election candidate for Ireland South Simon Harris TD appeared on Newstalk Breakfast earlier with Grace O’Sullivan (Green) and Diarmuid O’Flynn (Independent). The discussion turned to water charges:

Chris Donoghue: “Simon Harris, you are in a government which is about to deliver a new bill to us. Your coalition, your cabinet colleagues, they can’t make a decision to save their lives. They’ve procrastinated for three weeks. You must be getting chased off…on water charges, you must be getting chased off doorsteps with a brush.”

Simon Harris: “No. I’m not. Though Grace seemed to be getting it a way nicer than I did. But ah no what I am hearing is Chris that in relation to the water charges and in relation to other issues is that there is a sense out there that the same people are being hit again and again and what I was extremely worried about over the weekend and what I’m still worried about until we see the detail of these water charges is this mentality that seems to exist in some parts of Irish politics and society that the vulnerable only consists of people without a job. There’s an awful lot of people that I’m meeting who are low or middle-income. I’ve visited factory floors and they’re telling me that it’s not worth their while working an extra hour of overtime. Yes, the government has to do something on that. Yes, the government has to do something on that.”

Shane Coleman: “You’re having a pop at Labour there.”

Harris: “What exactly the point I’m making is that if we’re going to start introducing exemptions and allowances, we need to realise that introducing a blanket exemption for people on social welfare whilst passing on that charge to people getting up in the morning and going out to work and earning little money but doing their best to keep a roof above their head is not on. We keep on hitting the same group of people..”

Coleman: “And the Labour party was effectively trying to do that by getting a general exemption scheme.”

Harris: “So I read, but I’m not privy to the detail at cabinet. What I want to see come out of today is that the issue of water charges is that those that get out of bed and work in the morning aren’t being penalised for doing so.”

Coleman: “Are you concerned as you you’ve read at what’s likely to happen? Are you concerned about the proposals as they stand at the moment?”

Harris: “I’m encouraged to see that it doesn’t look like what I read that we’re going to offer a blanket em..a blanket exemption from water charges based on being on social welfare. There are some people and particularly may I say and I’ve met these people with disability, medical needs, older people, that use extra water. We’ve got to deal with that very compassionately in relation to water charges and I’m encouraged to see that. But I’m talking about there isn’t often a big financial difference between the person going out to work in a low or middle-income job and the person who doesn’t have a job and you can’t just keep on passing on all the charges just to the people who are working.”

Listen back here (scroll to the 29 minute mark)

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland