Professor Tom Collins:

With regard to two of the Senator's questions, we have discussed them already. We have given an undertaking that we will have a written submission in by the 8 March or 9 March on the equity question between those who have and have not paid. We have not discussed it as a forum as yet but we will begin the process immediately and give the committee a written report on it.

On the question of the group scheme, I cannot speak for the group schemes, although they are members of our committee as the Chairman has pointed out. I will say two things about the group schemes. At a personal level, I am a member of a group scheme and I also chaired the national rural water monitoring committee for ten years. I believe it is important to think about the group scheme sector as an entity that is different in itself. It is owned by the members. It is a co-op. One might argue that as a co-op, it is placed in slightly existentially different position than those who take their supply from the public scheme. As a member of a group scheme myself, if I was selling my house in the countryside in the morning, there would be additional charges for supplying water to the countryside. There are distance issues and isolation issues. Usually, the State covers those charges, such as with the postal system. Just because I am further away from the GPO than those in Dublin does not mean I pay more for my stamps. One could argue therefore that I should not pay more for my water just because I am in the countryside.