Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin:

I will ask a colleague from the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to address Senator O'Sullivan's technically-focused questions. I will deal with the questions from Deputy Cowen. He is right that this is the start of a negotiating process. The challenge for Ireland as a member state is to balance in the best way possible the environmental and health outcomes with achieving the best cost-benefit outcomes such that we are not spending unnecessary money on stuff that will not achieve health or environmental benefits. With regard to co-ordinating that response, the Department has already had initial meetings with all the colleagues that are here. We want to talk to other potential actors that would have an interest in this, for example, the Department of Health. I have already mentioned An Fóram Uisce which brings under its umbrella environmental, industry, agriculture and consumers - the whole gamut of parties interested in water. With regard to support to the group water sector, the Department and the Minister provide strong and consistent support to that sector. The potential cost implications of these proposals, both for the group water sector and Irish Water, is at the forefront of our minds and of other member states. The reports that we are getting back from Brussels say that we are not alone in this and that many member states are raising these specific questions.

On the Chairman's questions about whether the Commission is going beyond its powers with these proposals, our initial view is that it is probably not but this is something that will have to be teased out in the working party initially in Brussels, to ensure that there is no overreach there. With regard to Article 13 and the proposals on access to water in public places, this is an issue that many other member states have raised too because there are the practical implications of it versus the desirability. We will definitely have to tease that out. I do not know if there are any technical aspects that Mr. Byrne might want to add to that.