Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests and thank them for making themselves available today. We all have our views on what constitutes excessive usage. I appreciate the Commission for Energy Regulation will be tasked with setting the figure. The witnesses specifically referred in their submission to the importance of a dissuasive argument for those who are prone to wasting water, or even to determine whether people are wasting water. What are the views of the witnesses on the level at which this should be set?

We have a very obvious question of fairness, particularly to those who provide their own water supply, such as group water schemes throughout the country. They provide a significant saving to the Exchequer. In the long term, it is most likely cheaper for them to provide the water supply to their communities than for the State to do so in certain instances. Otherwise, I would argue, group water schemes would not exist. How do we square this circle? How do we deal with the basic inequality we will have if the current arrangement is adopted through the expert report, with regard to people paying for excessive usage versus those in private group schemes who will pay a charge regardless? I understand there is State subvention, and this has been restored as of the suspension date to 2015 levels. I know the witnesses are calling for additional subsidies, and it is in the report which is helpful no doubt to group water schemes. What are the views of the witnesses on this?

Do the witnesses believe it is possible for private group schemes to provide the service the State provides in housing estates throughout the country cheaper than the State provides it? Do they have a view on how this would be achieved? I am sure they can appreciate we have spoken to the commission, Irish Water, NewERA and departmental officials on numerous occasions in recent years, where the total cost of the provision of the water and the wastewater networks throughout the State has been highlighted. All the while, hundreds of thousands of people already pay for water and their local community water services. With very few exceptions, certainly in the advice with which we have been provided, I have seen examples of excellence in the service provided by group water schemes, no more than by State providers.

Do the witnesses have a view on the ongoing sustainability of the group schemes they represent?