WITH regard to the Sinn Fein response to Paul Gallagher's article about the removal of the billboard 'Water Charges....Your Money Down The Drain'..... I read the article and they never answered why it was taken down!

I do know that similar billboards were taken down throughout the north towards the end of last year and the thinking within the Anti Water Charge Coalition was that the Executive would be implementing water charges.

Has it only filtered through to Strabane that water charges are to be introduced? I have read over this past while that Sinn Fein will be working to alleviate poverty in the area.

Water charges will impact disastrously on the people of Strabane and further afield. We are already beginning to feel the affects of poverty due to global circumstances yet we hear a Sinn Fein spokesperson say water charges are inevitable! Are they inevitable because those within the realms of power say so?

Will Sinn Fein locally oppose water charges as they told the electorate that water charges would be abolished when they got into the executive?

We already have a serious fuel poverty issue especially in Strabane due to the local council implementing a smoke free zone.

I had said back in May of 2006 that there was a lack of consultation with the people in regard to alternative heating systems and they along with the Housing Executive enforced tenants with Oil fired Central Heating.

Nobody was informed that they could use smokeless fuel which although dear would be easier to pay for than oil!

In their 2007 Manifesto, Sinn Fein set out their plans to:

* Oppose the imposition of water charges and the

privatisation of the water service, and any other forms of

regressive double-taxation.

* Ensure the water charges legislation is deferred to the incoming Assembly and Executive to allow for an open debate and consultation around the issue of water reform.

* Ensure that the legacy costs of the failure to invest in water and sewerage are covered by the British Government.

But now local people are left the hard choices due to policies that are implemented by governments and the fact of the matter is that our politicians are not really serious about alleviating poverty if they implement a tax which will hit the most vulnerable within our community and at a local level they should be campaigning against it.

Why not consult the people on these issues?

Seamas Devine

Strabane