Sir, – I realise we have had a few sunny days, but, it’s a bit early for flip-flops, even if they are the quintessential Fianna Fáil fashion item. – Yours, etc,
CONAN DOYLE,
Kilkenny.
Sir, – At last, a sensible and legal solution to the water charges saga. ("Last-minute deal on water charges agreed as FG demands met", Home News, April 11th) An end, we hope, to the bickering within and without political parties.
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Democracy at its best. Forget promises, move on now with all the other urgent problems we have. And solve them together, like mature politicians (to quote Richard Bruton). – Yours, etc,
SHEILA DEEGAN,
Clontarf, Dublin 3.
Sir, – May I remind your readers that the golden ratio of 1:1.6 has been considered for centuries the most aesthetically pleasing ratio for use by artists, architects and mathematicians. Now it seems the golden ratio 1:1.6 is the cut-off point for ideal use of water. Below the ratio no agreement could be reached by our politicians. Exceed the ratio at 1:1.7 and you pay for it! Hats off to our educated politicians. I’m very impressed. (Ignore 1.6-1.69 for the purposes of my argument).
– Yours, etc,
EVELYN MADIGAN,
Dublin 6w.
Sir, – If the “water charges” deal between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is merely the latest sign of the drift into an inevitable marriage, it is time we reminded ourselves of the old truism, “Unity in faith is theocracy, unity in politics is fascism” Be careful what you wish for folks, things most certainly could get worse. – Yours, etc,
JIM O’SULLIVAN,
Rathedmond, Sligo.
Sir, – In order to allow our politicians extricate themselves from the absolute mess they have created and to allow the public hysteria, so evident in the callers to the Joe Duffy show, to abate, may I suggest the following. As a major exercise in clarifying what exactly the Irish public voted for at the last election let us have a quick referendum with three questions being asked.
1. Should Irish Water be retained in public ownership and a clause to this effect inserted in the Constitution?
2. Should all domestic premises be metered for water consumption?
3. Should there be a charging system for the consumption of water for domestic purposes?
I believe that answers to these questions should bring the current debate to a conclusion and all of us would have to live with the financial consequences and our legislators could proceed to legislate for the will of the people.
It is obvious that our current crop of politicians has no idea what the Irish people as a whole think or want in relation to this issue. – Yours, etc,
TOM MULDOON,
Bray, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – This Easter weekend marks the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s arrival at the Finland station in Petrograd, later renamed to Leningrad and back to St. Petersburg when the Soviet era ended.
This week in Ireland, the policy focus of the so-called hard Left TDs is to get the State to pay for water wasting. These TDs are not socialists and not left wing. Giving the name hard Left to these TDs is insulting to the real Left and to the memory of leaders like Lenin. – Yours, etc,
FRANK O’CONNOR,
Glenageary, Co Dublin.
Sir, – I have a water well in my garden because a mains supply does not come up as far as my house one-and-a-half miles from the village where I live.
I don’t collect the water from the well in a bucket as I am too old to lug such a heavy item into the house. I also have a septic tank to get rid of the waste water.
I did invoke the fairies and local leprechauns in Wicklow to come and link me to the taps in my house, but they didn’t respond even though I have a right to water I believe?
But a lovely local company was able to help and I was delighted to pay them for the service. Every time I turn on the tap, a pump, powered by electricity brings the water into the house; if there is a leak, that lovely man comes and fixes it and sends me an invoice; if the septic tank needs de-sludging there is another company I can call on to do this for me for a reasonable price.
The country was promised free electricity once the system was installed way back in the 1940s and 1950s, but that never happened, because of course the pipes, the poles and the wires have to be maintained.
Same thing for water pipes?
I just want to alert the government that I doubt those fairies will be available to report on who is using more baths and showers, and flushing their toilets more frequently than their neighbour. But maybe I am wrong, because the government could be away with the fairies as I write. – Yours, etc,
JACINTA DOOLAN,
Roundwood,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Faucets circus. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.