Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Independent analysis will be carried out by the EPA relating to the inferior treatment works and infrastructure that have been referred to on a number of occasions. We know 30% of households in the country are occupied by one adult and 49% of houses are occupied by two adults, with 13% occupied by three adults, 6% occupied by four adults and 2% occupied by five adults. There is a clear issue where there are a number of adults in a house. A person living alone will have 48% of the required water supplied through the free allocation from the State, and so on.

The comment made by the Tánaiste yesterday is in respect of making the charges as fair and as affordable as possible. The Government has not made a decision on this yet and the Government will make its decision in the next two weeks. It will be perfectly clear about that, taking into account all of the issues that have been raised here and those which must be dealt with. There is a major programme of reconstruction and investment to be put in place.

See this speech in context