City Hall should not renew its contract with Veolia given the company’s involvement with controversial projects in Israel and the arrears in its collection of water service charges in Galway.
Labour Cllr Billy Cameron has called on City Hall not to renew its water services contract with Veolia and follow the example of the Stockholm Community Council which has decided not to renew its contract with the company to operate the city’s underground system.
According to Cllr Cameron, Stockholm’s decision has come as a result of Veolia’s involvement in a controversial tramway project that connects Israeli-west Jerusalem with illegal Israeli settlements on Occupied Palestinian Territory and also because of its involvement in the Tovlan landfill site - also on Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“Financial institutions and civil organisations throughout Europe have withdrawn support and been highly critical of Veolia’s operations in OPT on the grounds that the project ‘is not in line with the United Nation’s demand to stop all support for Israeli’s settlement activities’,” he said.
Cllr Cameron also alleged that Veolia is “assisting Israel in the disposal of its waste” onto OPT.
“Veolia are in my mind on the wrong track and should take the first bus out of Galway, that being NestorLink which it also operates,” he said.
Cllr Cameron also expressed concern regarding the company’s collecting of water service charges. According to figures released at Monday’s city council meeting, Veolia has collected 53 per cent of the water charges due to the Galway City Council leaving cumulative arrears of €2,864,599 up to the end of last year.
He said: “In these times of recession arrears of this magnitude and underperformance have to be scrutinised and dealt with.”
