Deputy Thomas Pringle has called Fianna Fail’s support for a single household charge to be introduced in 2019 as a double-cross.
He says the FF party has revealed its true colours in light of the Expert Commission’s Report on water charges published this week.
“The flig-flopping of Fianna Fáil’s position on water charges has changed time and time again. Originally it was all about setting up the foundation for water charges while they were in Government, then onto outright opposition to water charges in an attempt to absorb the work of communities who protested against water charges in a show of solidarity of the people.
“What they are proposing now with the merging of property and water taxes is nothing short of a ‘Super Tax’ in an effort to achieve their original goal of direct water charges. No doubt they were unhappy with the Water Commission’s Report as it did not vindicate their push for direct taxation of the use of water, something they have always wanted along the way.”
The Killybegs-based politician said that as a member of the Special Committee on Water Charges, he will be pushing for water to be paid through general taxation, far from the ‘Super Tax’ proposed by Fianna Fáil which they will no doubt be presenting at every opportunity throughout the course of the Water Committee’s work.
“It will be obvious to many then that the best interests of the people are far from Fianna Fáil’s minds. Once again we see Fianna Fáil double-crossing the people and revealing itself as a party we simply cannot trust” concludes Pringle.