Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister clarify the exemption from the EU Water Framework Directive, Article 9.4? I heard what he said in an earlier response and received a reply to a parliamentary question from him this evening but I am still not entirely clear about this. It is suggested that the facility for an exemption allows a situation where a member state does not have full recovery of costs when it comes to water services. I take the Minister’s point that it is not specific to Ireland. If that general exemption is going to expire at the end of the year and if it is not extended does that not imply that in the new year, if this Government were to decide not to proceed with water charges, we would be in breach of that directive?

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