Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To deal with the topic at hand. As the Minister, Deputy Browne, has stated, we are opposing this Bill because the introduction of the household water conservation charge is not in the programme for Government. It will not be introduced. That is categorical.

By way of background, the legislation to implement water charges was contained in the Water Services Act 2014, which was repealed by the Water Services Act 2017. Therefore, there is no legal basis for the provision of water charges. They are the facts. Furthermore, within the Bill tabled by Deputy Ó Broin and Sinn Féin, it proposes to repeal Part 2 in its entirety. There are other elements to Part 2 that are beneficial, such as amending the Water Services Act 2007 to include An Fóram Uisce as one of the bodies to which the Minister can make grants out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. It also contains a provision for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to carry out a review to assess the rate of household demand for water services provided by Uisce Éireann.

If Part 2 was fully repealed, the Minister would no longer be able to give grants to An Fóram Uisce, which would impact its ability to function. It would also take away the need for the commission for regulation to assess household demand and it would limit the data available for consideration by the water conservation working group, which the Minister, Deputy Browne, intends to establish shortly to advise him, as Minister, on a future strategy for water conservation.

However, it is a common theme here tonight that the conservation of water is a key policy provision for everyone. It is a key policy provision for the Government in regard to water policy particularly for the long term. Safe, reliable and high quality drinking water is a precious resource. Experience to date has shown that there is a strong willingness on the part of citizens and communities to embrace conservation measures for the greater public good. The real challenges in conservation terms lie in eliminating leakages and wastage as far as practicable and effective management of water resources and service capacity. We are all agreed on that.

The Water Services Policy Statement 2024-2030, which was published in February 2024 following its approval by the Government, sets out a series of high-level policy objectives across the three thematic areas of availability and reliability, safety and quality and sustainability, which must be pursued when planning capital investment and framing current spending plans. The policy statement supports the promotion of water conservation and water resource management as an important element of water services policy. For the period of the policy statement, this will involve the prioritisation of multifaceted programmes around leakage detection and repair, network improvements, public awareness campaigns and funding to fix customers' side leaks.

Every day we currently lose about 37% of the treated water through leaks before it even reaches our taps. Leaks can be difficult to find because they happen in the vast and complex network of pipes below ground. Many of them are now old or damaged and need to be repaired or replaced to improve our water quality and supply. As part of the national leakage reduction programme, Uisce Éireann works with local authorities throughout the country to repair bursts and fix underground leaks. Its leakage reduction crews are working hard to find and fix leaks nationwide to provide a more reliable water supply. I note the acknowledgement by everyone of the work done on the ground by staff working with both Irish Water and local authorities in this area. Despite the challenges, Uisce Éireann is making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46% and by the end of 2022, four years later, it was 37%. Uisce Éireann has saved millions of litres of drinking water daily and is on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% and to save a further 200 million litres of water daily by the end of 2030.

The free fix scheme is available to domestic or mixed-use customers with a confirmed leak on the external supply pipe. The scheme aims to help to reduce the amount of water wasted through leaks on customers’ properties. Uisce Éireann estimates that more than 208 million litres of water per day have been saved as a result of this scheme to the end of 2022. The Department and the Minister, Deputy Browne, will continue to work with Uisce Éireann, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and An Fóram Uisce to ensure that effective water conservation arrangements are reflected in the ongoing investment plans and connection policies.

Many made reference to the rural side. The policy statement also extends to rural and privately-provided water services. The Government also has a plan for the long term and it does not include the introduction of the household water conservation charge. The conservation work group will be doing work in that area and will bring it to the Minister. The Government is committed to providing substantial funding to Uisce Éireann to deliver on its mandate. The national leakage reduction programme includes investment of some €250 million every year over the next five years under the find and fix repair scheme and the water mains rehabilitation programme. The Government accepts that sustained investment is needed to ensure the upgrade and repair of the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure and to support economic growth in the years to come.

The programme for Government commits to funding Uisce Éireann’s capital investment plan. In this regard, the Uisce Éireann funding plan for 2025 to 2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out capital and operational costs expected to be incurred by Uisce Éireann over a multi-annual period and how these costs can be recovered. The strategic funding plan for 2025 to 2029 has a total funding requirement of €16.9 billion, of which €12.1 billion is voted Exchequer funding in terms of Uisce Éireann. The strategic funding plan has a capital investment requirement of €10.2 billion, of which €9.8 billion is voted Exchequer funding.

To meet increased housing targets, Uisce Éireann will require addition funding on top of the strategic funding plan over the next five years, which would be ring-fenced for housing and growth. The programme for Government also commits to investing additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We will prioritise water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages. This additional funding will be considered as part of the NDP review, which is due to be completed in the middle of the year. This overall commitment is reflected in budget 2025 with funding for Uisce Éireann of more than €2.2 billion, which includes €514 million of the €1 billion equity investment announced by the Minister for Finance in budget 2025. This investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine areas.

Sinn Féin has brought forward a Bill, which we are opposing. We have laid out the grounds for opposition. The introduction of the household water conservation charge is not in the programme for Government. That is the Government position. Elements in Part 2 make a big contribution in how we deal with water. Fundamentally, it is all about getting that data. If Part 2 were repealed, An Forám Uisce could not longer be funded by the Government. This Part provides that the CRU should carry out a review to assess the rate of household demand. It would not be able to carry out its work either and we need that raw data. We are not introducing a water conservation charge. The public is aware of that. It is very much in the programme for Government. What Sinn Féin is trying to do here is give the impression it might be happening but it is not happening. It will not happen under this Government. We want to continue with the work of considering water conservation in the round and more particularly, dealing with leaks, getting infrastructure through Uisce Éireann to ensure we have sustainable provision to our citizens without charge for domestic customers and dealing with water as a precious commodity we want to deliver to the public.

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