Irish Water is an organisation set up by the government for the purposes of providing safe, clean and affordable water and waste water services to the Irish people.
In 2011, the Irish government and Irish Water released the results of a study that highlighted major problems for the exploitation of water throughout Ireland. The existing water supply at the time did not meet the demand, and the pipes used to transfer water around the country were in need of major repairs.
As a result, water charges were introduced in Ireland. People and businesses had to pay for the amount of water they used. The money gained from these charges would be used to improve how Ireland exploits water around the country.
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The Social Effects of Water Charges
5 August 2014 20 February 2017
Water charges now ‘a big election issue’
Opinion: Yes, we should pay water charges – but we should also get an improved service
With the person sitting next to you, read
Communicating: the newspaper headlines and
group them into either ‘for’ or ‘against’ water charges. Then write a newspaper headline of your own – one supporting water charges, one against water charges.
As you can see from the newspaper clippings above, the introduction of water charges had both positive and negative reactions. Due to continued water charges protests, the Irish government decided water charges would stop from July 2016 and the scheme would be reviewed again. People who had paid water charges were refunded.
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28 October 2014
Water charges make sense; the Government has just done a bad job convincing us
31 August 2015
Thousands attend anti-water charges protest in Dublin
