Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)

No, Fine Gael indicated in advance of publication of the IMF deal that it intended to do something along these lines. In fact, at Question Time in October last Deputy Hogan, the new Minister, said he agreed with the idea of controlling the use of water because it was a finite resource. Therefore, let us dispel that notion.

The Minister of State has said it will take three years from the beginning of 2012 when the Government intends to begin rolling out the water metering programme, but he was not able to tell me when we could expect to see water charges introduced. If a certain amount of water will be provided free and use of water beyond that amount will incur a charge, how can charges be introduced before a system has been rolled out?

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