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This morning, RTE reports that Irish Water will invest almost €1.8billion in water and waste treatment improvements over the next three years and that billions more will be spent over the following five or six years.

It reports:

“The investment, which is substantially more than the indicative funding available to the utility, will deliver urgently needed improvements in drinking water quality, leakage, water availability, and waste water compliance.

Five months after being set up by the Government Irish Water is now taking control, reprioritizing, and ramping up the water infrastructure programmes of our 34 local authorities.”

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon Green Party local candidate for Cork South West, Mick Murphy, lodged a letter with the Petition Section of the European Commission, based at the European Union House on Dawson Street in Dublin, asking it to investigate the establishment of Irish Water.

He has since received a response from the European Commission asking whether he wishes his complaint to go the European Commission or directly to the EU Parliament. After getting legal advice, Mr Murphy has asked that his complaint be addressed by the EU Parliament.

This was Mr Murphy’s letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

I wish to petition the European Commission to investigate the handing over of strategic infrastructure by the Irish government that was heavily funded by European Union funds to a private company that is a monopoly and engages in price fixing by the very fact that no competition to this company exists in the Irish market.

The Minister of Environment Community & Local Government in Ireland [Phil Hogan] made provision this year for local authorities all over Ireland to hand over strategic infrastructure including water treatment plants, water pumping stations and foul water treatment plants to a private company known as ‘Irish Water’ at no cost to the company.

This infrastructure is worth in excess of a billion euro and was heavily funded by the European Union over the past number of decades.

I am of the opinion that to use such funding from the European Union either through direct cash funding, or indirect funding through the handing over of assets is in breach of European Union funding rules and is also in breach of EU Competition Laws that prevent EU funding going towards the establishment of a market monopoly, or support for same.

I would be obliged if you could investigate this matter by way of petition?

Yours sincerely,

Mick Murphy,
Green Party,
Cork City South West.

Anyone?

Irish Water to invest €1.8 billion in water and waste treatment (RTE)

Previously: How Much?

Thicker Than Uisce

gardastock

Declan Brennan, in the Irish Times, reports that another Garda whistleblower has come forward, claiming to have come under severe pressure after he arrested an off-duty plainclothes detective for drunk driving.

Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin TD for Donegal South West, is likely to use Dail privilege to name the whistleblower this week.

Mr Brennan reports:

“The drink-driving charge against the plainclothes garda was adjourned a number of times in court and was ultimately struck out on a legal issue by a District Court judge.”
…
“The arrest at the centre of this case took place during a routine Garda checkpoint in the midlands when the garda involved carried out a roadside alcohol test on an off-duty detective. He then arrested the detective on suspicion of drunk driving. The suspect was tested at the local station and found to be over the legal limit. He was subsequently charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The two gardaí knew each other and the arresting garda claims that the detective was unhappy about the arrest.”

Another Garda whistleblower expected to come forward (Irish Times)

Previously: ‘Confined to Cavan-Monaghan? Unlikely’

This Just In

Photocall Ireland

pentimento

Of this brilliant low-rent short, animator Remy Schaepman sez:

One day, I realized I wanted to make a film in eight days. And for a long time, I have been longing to animate something really simple in terms of graphic style (like those of Sempé or Reiser). I had neither money nor time, but I had a mike. So I made the soundtrack with my mouth. I ended up with that. Thanks for your leniency.

curiousbrain

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[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149161571″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Dublin West by-election candidate David Hall spoke to Niall Boylan on 4FM earlier about yesterday’s Sunday World story and alleged blackmail attempt.

Niall Boylan: “Can we clarify what the video is about?”

David Hall: “The video is a 30 second video. I haven’t seen the video… when you press play it has a gentleman playing cards with me, interrupting me having banter with a friend of mine, asking me to repeat a specific sentence and that specific sentence…is when I said ‘every house should have one’ it was me referring to me saying every house should have a black. It was in the context of me having banter with a friend.”

Boylan: “Were you actually referring to that cliché that every home should have one?”

Hall: “No, I was replying to a Sri-Lankan friend of mine, Eddie, who said that every man home should have a fat, bald, Irish man. So, in the context the comments that I made were completely inappropriate and maybe… banter among friends… some people will say…we all do it.”

Boylan: “Enda Kenny made some comments years ago and used the ‘N’ words, didn’t he?”

Hall: “Oh absolutely, many people have. The comments were completely inappropriate in the context of banter among friends. This is a guy I’ve known for ten years, I’ve done business with him, we’d be joking, exchanging things, he would have many other jokes. There’s a big difference Niall when you’re sitting with somebody. I have many friends of different nationalities and races and 15% of my staff are foreign nationals. Anyone who knows me knows the context this is in, however, in the event of anyone taking any offence to it…it was completely inappropriate, it was an embarrassing remark to have made, and there was never any racist intent. Apologies to anyone who may take offence from it.”

Boylan: “The whole point is nobody would have taken offence to it had it not been put in the public domain in the first place.”

Hall: “I’m going to put it in context. This is where I was approached by two individuals to seek €10,000 as a payment, which is now being investigated by the guards. There is material there that corroborates that, which, to be fair to Niall in The Sunday World, he refers to that he did see material indicating an attempted bribe looking for €10,000. I directed him towards the information. He saw the facebook and text messages that confirmed that.”

Boylan: “Can I clarify something David… did you go to the guards before the Sunday World contacted you or after?”

Hall: “Yes, beforehand.”

Boylan: “What were they suggesting… they were going to put it in the public domain or sell it to the media?”

Hall: “Sell it to the media. On Friday morning one of the guys, I think, panicked a bit, having the other guy possibly given it to the Sunday World, and rang me to say ‘this has all gone out of my control’ bla bla… so the matter had been reported to the guards before The Sunday World had approached me and a secondary statement had been given since the original statement and the material has been handed over to the guards to investigate and that’s where, correctly, it should be with. And those messages in the article are a number of weeks old, which confirms it’s sort of back dated stuff as opposed to me trying to cover my backside when The Sunday World appeared.”

Boylan: “You do accept that people shouldn’t hold these views, obviously?”

Hall: “The views as expressed, or expressed anywhere else, are completely out of context are completely wrong, let’s be clear, they are completely wrong. .. But in the context of something around seven years ago, during banter among friends… it was in 2007 apparently. The views are completely wrong, and as I said to the journalist of The Sunday World, if you do enough research and meet some people who know me, then my record and my character will stand as it stands. That’s not to excuse… the comments that I made were not appropriate. Someone else might have a different view in relation to the banter and that’s fair enough. And to be fair the report in the Sunday World does say ‘this is a 30 second clip of banter’ it does say it was of banter… I’m very cynical this happened… again…it’s years old. It’s the lead up to the election and they’re looking for ten grand. Now all of a sudden I’m joint favourite in the race in Dublin West and all of a sudden this comes out.”

Boylan: “Do you think it has had any effect on how successful you might be?”

Hall: “I don’t believe so, I think people in Dublin West, all of the reasonable people will see this for what it is and those who know me or those who find out about me will know that this has no merit in any shape or form. I’d say this has galvanised the team. I think this is the largest team out canvassing tonight.”

Boylan: “Are you coming across any people in the general public having a pop at you over it?”

Hall: “No, everyone’s very respectful and understanding about it and understands and believes what it is which is a cynical move. This is old politics, and I was told I’m not a shrinking violet. I have tackled the establishment, I have tackled government, I have tackled banks and… I’ve taken them all on, had a go at them and yes I have made some enemies sometimes and maybe this is just old politics coming back again. There was a time in Ireland where ten grand would get you a lot and this is it again. I hope people move on to new politics.”

Boylan: “Somebody text in saying ‘does that mean he won’t be fighting for mortgage holders anymore?’”

Hall: “I’m just after having a row… I couldn’t do your show this afternoon because I was having a row. I went to meet a client of mine who is terminally ill with cancer, finishing up some paper work with her, doing a deal with the banks. We’ve a great team with The Irish Mortage Holders Association. I’m dipping in and out during the course of the campaign, concentrating on the campaign but there’s one or two delicate cases that are being dealt with and as I say I had a big ding-dong earlier and I’m surprised I’m still standing upright…with one of the banks in relation to funding.”

Earlier: A Limerick A Day

Thanks Mike Hogan

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