Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

To be fair, the Minister met the IFA on this point and that organisation was first to moot it. It comes on foot of some of the recent retro-fit schemes which were grant-aided through Sustainable Energy Ireland. The case has been put succinctly by the IFA and others in this House that such a scheme should be a product of a new registration regime. We should make every effort and strive to implement this, not only for the jobs involved but because it will encourage people to comply with the new regime when it is up and running.

Perhaps the Minister might address the household charge. There is a division between urban and rural Ireland in that the registration charge will affect rural dwellers only. That bone of contention has been articulated in this House and outside it. When water metering is rolled out - I am not trying to stray from waste disposal - and each dwelling in urban Ireland has a water meter will there be an attempt to promote equity between urban and rural dwellers? Is there such thinking somewhere within the bowels of the Minister's Department? I do not claim it is the Minister's thinking but indications are emanating of a policy that would charge urban Ireland for waste water treatment according to the water-in water-out model that currently exists for waste water treatment charges to commercial premises.

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