Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Following the confusing statement put up by the Minister for Education and Science on her departmental website, the Taoiseach should clear up a few simple matters for Members. Yesterday, the Taoiseach conceded that it was his intention to introduce a flat rate of payment for water usage in schools. He stated that he intended to introduce a transition period. Can the Taoiseach explain the basis on which the size of schools will determine the flat rate? Will it be based on usage of water or on a per capita attendance at schools?

Does the transition period only apply until the end of 2009? Given that the Government negotiated a derogation to the framework water directive in the first instance, will schools be obliged to pay for water they receive from 2010, on the basis of either an allocation given free and a charge applying thereafter or a continuation of the flat rate? I refer to schools that have received bills this week, many of which have received bills for water and sewerage charges combined. When the Taoiseach says that such schools should hold those bills, what is the position in respect of the discharge of such charges? In other words, will they be obliged to pay charges at all or will they be obliged to pay an element of them in a flat rate? Alternatively, can they dispose of them in the wastepaper bin?

Twenty minutes before the Taoiseach made his comments in the House yesterday, officials of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government were saying that it would be completely impractical to introduce a flat rate charge for water in schools and that it would be impossible. The Taoiseach either showed leadership or desperation and I am unsure which. People are very confused about the outcome of his statements and he should clear up this issue for me.

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