Mr. Jorge Rodríguez Romero:

The question of metering has been raised. We made our intervention on metering at the beginning in the context of the recommendations from the expert commission. The expert commission recommends that a charge for wasteful use of water is implemented in Ireland. It is for the country to consider how to do it. What we are saying is that the only way to do that is to implement metering. Metering for domestic use is general practice in the whole of the EU, with few exceptions. The committee has invited representatives from exempted areas to give evidence to the committee recently. This applies in Scotland, for example, as well as some parts of England and Wales and Northern Ireland as well. The rest of the EU is using metering generally for domestic households. It is generalised.

It is a well-established practice, if I may use the term, to promote conservation and to have a fair water charging system in place. Deputy O'Dea referred to Scotland and Northern Ireland. My colleague, Mr. Ciobanu-Dordea, referred to the need to avoid looking at the obligations of the Water Framework Directive in isolation. Article 9 is in place to support the achievement of the objectives of the directive. That is why, as Mr. Bradley mentioned, it is part of the programme of measures relating to water pricing policy. I say as much because of comments relating to whether the Commission could reproach Scotland and Northern Ireland as regards the water services if they have compliance that is close to 100%. Urban wastewater treatment directive compliance is close to 100% in those countries. This is not the case in Ireland.