Mr. Jerry Grant:

We do not have exactly the same pay model but it is consistent with the public sector pay model. We could not succeed in our objectives unless we were committed to paying fully competitive terms and conditions for new staff.

In regard to the excess use charge, I will make little comment on this today because the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is considering implementation. It will be consulting on it and, frankly, we do not have all of the terms and conditions that will apply. In broad terms, in the meter readings to date, we have notified about 80,000 people who have indicative leaks on their services. As an example, I refer to 4,000 houses with which we are in direct contact. Each of those houses uses, on average, the same as 35 houses. The impact is on their neighbours who suffer low pressure. There are practical rational reasons we are pursuing leakage on the customer side, just as we are on the public side. We follow up similar leaks in houses that do not have meters in the same way.

On the calibration issue, we have invested a huge amount of money, €465 million, to provide almost 900,000 meters across the country. These are new meters. Historically, water metering invariably reads low. We have very little experience on our non-domestic or domestic side of any possibility of reading high. The position is simple. If we had to calibrate meters on a continuous basis for householders it would cost a huge amount of money. We are absolutely confident, in the event of a query, our meters will be accurate or perhaps on the low side because that tends to be where they are. In order not to expend our limited budget, we have a charge for calibrations requested by customers.

I refer to the specific issue of a problem with a sewer in the public realm, which is in the footpath. The legal position is exactly as it was pre-Irish Water. The local authority did not have responsibility for that. It was a private drain to the point of connection to the sewer. However, we have given instructions that in the public realm, all such problems will be repaired by Irish Water and our local authority partners. If that is not happening, I will follow it up because that should be the case. I agree entirely with Deputy Barry. It is not reasonable that a private householder should have to dig holes in the public realm to deal with a private drain. We will deal with it.