Sir, – Paul Williams (Letters, July 22nd) suggests that if we had water taxes, Irish Water would be better funded to provide a quality service. Perhaps.
Perhaps if any proposed water taxes were ring-fenced specifically for water projects, instead of going into the general taxation fund, there might have been less opposition to them.
Perhaps if Irish Water were proposing to first fix the heavy leakage from Dublin’s water mains before spending a proposed €1.3 billion on a pipeline from the Shannon, people might be a little less cynical.
Perhaps if Irish Water prepared a costed plan, for public viewing, of all the works required to bring the nation’s water infrastructure up to date and presented it to us, we might be less reluctant to pay water taxes, especially if we knew how our money was going to be spent. But this has not happened.
I don’t blame Irish Water for our current water and sewage problems. I blame the politicians of both main parties, who seem to have been busier devising tax breaks and tax avoidance schemes than ensuring that vital infrastructure is maintained and upgraded when required. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.