Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I return to the question I raised with the Taoiseach last week on water charges in schools. The Minister for happiness, whom I assume is joining us directly from the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science, threw her hands up in despair when this matter was raised last week, the Minister who is going to save the world single-handedly said we should speak with the local authorities, the Minister for wastage of public money said he would not do anything until he receives a full report and the Taoiseach said the European Union was to blame.

The Taoiseach is aware this affects hundreds of thousands of parents throughout the country because they will be screwed to pay for these charges. Everybody accepts the principle of conserving water and the intention behind the EU framework directive of introducing appropriate financial incentives so people can understand that point. The programme for Government sent the clear message that schools would be given a generous allowance and that charges would apply once the allowance was used up, but that has not been done.

Five minutes ago, the Committee on Education and Science voted by a majority of one to accept a woolly motion stating that people should talk to each other and the Minister should discuss the issue, in keeping with the commitment to a joint approach between the Departments of Finance, Education and Science and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. That is not necessary because the programme for Government clearly commits to examining how local authorities might grant schools a reasonable level of usage of water and waste services without charge and states that charges would only apply where a school exceeds its allowance. That is in the programme for Government and it is what the Minister for happiness said to people around the country during the course of the election. Everybody who voted for the Government supported that principle but nothing has been done about it.

Does the Taoiseach agree that the water pricing measures and the provisions in the EU framework directive as agreed and adopted are not required to be fully implemented until the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010? Does he agree that position is clearly outlined in the framework directive? Does he agree that Article 9, section 4, of the framework directive allows for the flexibility and discretion being sought by Fine Gael and the Labour Party? As head of Government, will he defer the implementation of these charges for two years, so that a decent subvention scheme can be put in place to provide for allowances to schools above which charges can apply and in respect of which pupils, teachers and everybody else can understand the necessity of conserving water? Otherwise, the Government will bankrupt schools in the new year.

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