Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The committee made its own separate report as well.

On the point about whether one is metered or unmetered, it is not the case that if one is not metered by the end of 2016 the charge one will be paying is unreasonable. It is a question of its being based on a number of different criteria, which will include the number of persons in the house and other variables. If there is a significant difference when one is metered between what one is paying and what one has paid in the past, there is the question of a refund, which is also being discussed. Personally, I feel that if one is in an apartment or whatever, there should be a way of being able to measure as accurately as possible - through a meter, if at all possible - the volume of water that one uses. There are difficulties in other jurisdictions where there is one group meter and it is divided up proportionately.

Whatever the formula, it must be seen to be fair. It must be fair, because if it is not fair it will not work. This must be a sharing of knowledge of facts and it must be transparent. One must be able to query and understand all of the charges. At the end of the day, consumers will accept it if it is fair.

The big challenge for Uisce Éireann is the ethos and the philosophy of why we are doing it, how it must work, how transparent it is, how one can query the system, how the regulator decides and how Irish Water plans. All of those matters must be open to full scrutiny in terms of those processes.

Deputy Coffey sought reassurance that Irish Water would be focused on asset management. The assets, I understand, are to be transferred from 1 January. He referred to mapping them, etc. I understand there is work going on with local authorities and with the Department - and, I presume, Irish Water - in that regard. That is a critical issue to get right. It is also important because if Irish Water must raise funds in the international market, the company must be transparent and the full facts must be known.