Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is probably a reasonable cost for the meters. The final figure the Minister gave - I appreciate him getting it - is that the additional cost of billing would be €22 million per year. The figure I have is that it would be a lot higher but I accept that is the figure the Minister has been given. Here is where we are, based on the figures we have tonight.

Some €271 million would be raised, €166 million would be given back in grants, €41 million would be the cost of metering and €22 million would be the cost of billing. I believe some of those figures would be higher but they are the figures we are working on. Given those figures, the net benefit to the State of charging people for water - the net benefit of people paying out €271 million - would be €42 million.

There will be an administrative cost to the grants. We do not know what it is but let us assume it is 3%. A 3% administrative cost on the grants would add a further €5 million or so in costs, bringing the net benefit to the State, from households paying out €271 million, of €37 million.

That is if the figures the Minister has been given on billing are correct and based on what I have seen they are very low. As of now, the people of Ireland will pay €271 million for their water and the benefit to the State at best will be €37 million and may be negative. This case, irrespective of whether there is a net benefit or cost to the State of charging people for water, is fundamental to this legislation. Can we please, in the interests of good parliamentary and legislative work on all sides, adjourn and come up with the figures? We have an independent expert-----

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