Professor Tom Collins:

As I said, the forum has yet to take a view on the matter. I will be suggesting to the forum that it examine a menu of options that could be offered to each consumer, with the consumer opting in to their preferred option in terms of recovery. In light of the conversation we have just had on this issue I realise it will be necessary for the forum to have an off-line conversation with the Department around what is feasible. On the assumption that what I am saying is feasible, my preference would be that each person who has paid would be provided with a range of options in terms of refund, to include direct refund, credit against a future tax bill or credit towards a water saving initiative. For instance, if the committee recommends the introduction of incentives for retro-fitting houses with water saving devices, etc., then households in respect of which water payments were made would immediately qualify for a grant plus what they had already paid for water charges. There may be ways of doing that.

Given the level of contestation in this area over the past number of years, the ideal position must be that the individual householder who has paid be given a range of options and allowed to make the final call in terms of which option he or she prefers to avail of.