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Water Commission must extend submission deadline until end of October - Ó Broin


Sinn Féin spokesperson on Water Eoin Ó Broin TD has called for the deadline for submissions to the Expert Commission on Water to be extended beyond this Friday.

Deputy Ó Broin said:

“The timeframe allocated for submissions to this so-called expert commission must be extended until the end October. A quiet call for submissions during the month of August is a cynical ploy to ensure that the minimum amount of consultation is completed. This is a pretty brazen attitude from an independent commission, which in reality only gives people a week to respond to its call for submissions.

“The Commission is treating the public consultation on this important issue as merely a box ticking exercise. It should extend the deadline until the end of October in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in this process. If it fails to do so then Minister Coveney should intervene.

“The Commission should also publish the minutes of their meetings in order to ensure maximum transparency. The public should be able to see which experts and water industry consultants the Commission is meeting and on whose opinion it will ultimately base its findings on.

“Sinn Féin has consistently stated that this Commission is unnecessary and that the issue of water charges should be democratically dealt with by the Dáil. It has been beset with controversy from the start, with the resignation of Joe O’Toole and the government’s refusal to amend the terms of reference. It is another waste of taxpayer’s money and the Commission’s lack of transparency is further undermining its work.”