Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The position of the Government in respect of the Water Framework Directive has been well articulated. The current situation is that the establishment of an expert commission to assess and make recommendations on the funding of domestic public water services in Ireland and the nine-month suspension of domestic water charges were discussed at Cabinet. I am sure that the Minister will address the details of that commission later.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will then meet with the EU Commissioner in June to outline the current policy developments in Ireland in this regard. The Government is fully committed to securing a sustainable, long-term funding model for domestic water services that is consistent with its international environmental obligations. The suspension period, as has been said on quite a number of occasions, will hopefully allow for a measured deliberative process on the future funding of domestic water services and the future of domestic water charges. That is the Government position.

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