A radical overhaul of the distribution network to cut wastage together with a public education campaign and government grant assistance towards the cost of introducing water saving technology in the home would have a far more beneficial effect, the Erris-based councillor said.
She was speaking at Mayo County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Water and Sewerage.
Said Cllr Conway-Walsh: “We already pay for essential services through general taxation. Stealth taxes and charges are regressive because they do not take into account the householders ability to pay.
"The cost of installation of water meters to the 32,000 households in Mayo will amount to almost €1.5 million. The argument is used that Mayo County Council need’s the revenue from water charges to be able to meet the 30% local contribution of the Polluter Pays Principle. "Even if every household in Mayo paid water charges there is no guarantee that the money will be ringfenced for water and sewerage projects in this county. As in the case of the tax for second homes it could be sucked up into central funds and redistributed to banks and financial consultants while Group Water Schemes such as Downpatrick GWS wait in vain.
“I fully understand that there are inequities where domestic households on Group Water Schemes already pay for their water and others done but the way to address that is not to pile on more inequities where families that are struggling will be faced with yet another bill they cannot pay.
"Sinn Féin will not vote for these charges and certainly will never vote for anything that will lead to privatization of water or any other essential service. We cannot walk blindly into accepting water charges without looking at the wider and long-term effects.
Cllr. Conway-Walsh also posed the question of whether Fine Gael/Labour would reduce the local contribution percentage if they got into power to enable schemes such as the Belmullet Sewerage Scheme to go ahead.
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