Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We need to examine the facts in a calm way. I am disappointed that the Minister is leaving, but so be it. I often wonder does anyone listen in this House. I have made comment previously to the effect that it would be almost as well to put the contributions up on the web and not bother coming to the House in order that we could save ourselves a good deal of time. If the Dáil is to function, each side must listen to the other side. In particular, Government must listen and justify the rationale not by rote speeches but by detailed analysis.

My understanding is that the idea of going to a metered water charge was that there were leaks on people's properties and this would discourage people from wasting water. In this way we would save on capital investment and building new systems when the amount of water being produced was already adequate in a given area. I am very much in favour of an integrated joined-up national grid for water and I have said as much in public several times.

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If that was the reason and it was intended to create a utility like the ESB, the logic would be that sooner or later the full economic cost of water must be charged. If people used vast quantities of water, they would be charged for them. Now we have the water meters at a cost of €540 million and the huge establishment costs of a centralised organisation which is unlike the NRA which operates with a very small staff. In fact, there might have been a marginal gain by coming under what the meter would tell you, but from the Úisce Éireann side of it, the major private users with the big leaks will be able to continue on their merry way because it will make no difference. As the only justification for water metering as a tax has been done away with, the simple thing is to abolish water charges in total.

The argument I will be given in favour of this money-in, money-out approach - it was water-in, water-out - and a massive bureaucracy is that it will facilitate off-balance sheet borrowing. The income of the company from domestic water rates will be approximately €300 million. I was doing a little sum. There are 500,000 houses which are never mentioned by most people and they are in rural areas unconnected to waste water systems. Those people pay €200 to €300 to get their own septic tanks cleaned. The average contribution they will make is between minus €20 and €30 per annum. Can the Ministers of State confirm if that is correct?

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