Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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I congratulate Deputy Farrell on his elevation to the Chair and wish him well in his new role. I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Kelly, is not available today. Obviously, it is not always possible for Ministers to be present when certain issues come up in their Departments. I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for the opportunity to bring my concerns regarding access to water meters to the floor of the Dáil. This important matter has been raised by a substantial number of people throughout the country, particularly in recent times as the installation of water meters has gathered pace. It has become a fairly controversial issue in certain parts of Dublin. Many of the people who are protesting have rejected the contention that meters are needed in the first instance. There is some uncertainty at the moment regarding the actual charge. I understand the regulator will make an announcement on the water charges and the allowances in the next week or so. Obviously, that will bring some certainty to the situation.

There has been some speculation about the allowances that will be provided for, particularly in the cases of people with disabilities who might need to use more water. Equally, many elderly people have become scared and anxious as a consequence of the uncertainty and the lack of information at this time. It is in this context that I am raising the question of access to water meters. We know that the meters are installed at the stopcock at the boundary of a property on the publicly accessible land. A person who wishes to access and look at a water meter will need a flat-headed screwdriver to force up the lid. That is difficult enough for able-bodied people, but those with disabilities will not have any opportunity or any way of measuring the amount of water being used in their households. They will not be able to budge the lid to find out where they stand. People are able to read the electricity and gas meters in their homes to learn where they stand. The difficulty that this uncertainty is posing is very extreme.

When I raised this issue previously with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, he assured me his Department would conform with all directives, particularly the measuring instruments directive. I am concerned that this might not be the case, however. The European measuring instruments directive provides that "whether or not a measuring instrument intended for utility measurement purposes can be remotely read it shall in any case be fitted with a metrologically controlled display accessible without tools to the consumer". The most important part of that clause is the provision that the consumer should be able to access a measuring instrument without having to use tools. As I have said, in this case one will have to use a screwdriver to lift the lid of the shore in which the meter is contained. I suggest this demonstrates not only that there was a lack of thought when these meters were being installed, but also that the European directive is not being complied with at present. We have been told by the Department that the meters will be read automatically, that information will be provided directly to customers in their bills and that any unusual usage patterns can be discussed directly with Irish Water. It really worries me that people who do not have a relative or friend to open and read these water meters will have to rely on Irish Water to check the level of water usage independently. Perhaps the Minister of State can respond directly to that concern.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I am replying on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly. I thank Deputy Terence Flanagan for raising this very topical issue. The Water Services Act 2013, which provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann group, assigned the company the necessary powers to allow it to undertake the metering programme. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers who are in receipt of water services provided by it. Water meters used for domestic billing must comply with the EU measuring instrument directive, which sets standards of accuracy. This directive is implemented in Ireland by means of the 2007 legal metrology regulations. The legal metrology service of the National Standards Authority of Ireland is the statutory body responsible for regulating and supervising weights and measures, including meters, in Ireland.

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Irish Water has confirmed to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that all the water meters in use by Irish Water comply with the Measuring Instruments Directive. It has also confirmed that the meters being installed as part of the metering programme are designed so it will be possible for the householder to read the meter.

Most meters for public utilities are located at the point where the connection enters the household. In the case of water services, under the provisions of the Water Services Act 2007, households' pipes internal to the boundary of a property are considered the responsibility of the householder and thus water meters are generally fitted at the stopcock at the boundary of the property. As this is located on publicly accessible land, it minimises disruption during both the installation and the reading of meters as access to people's homes is not required.

Meters will be read automatically and the information will be provided directly to customers in their bills. Each water meter has a low-power radio unit fixed to the top which enables it to be read periodically from a passing van. This is what is known as automatic meter reading or AMR. The metering technology being employed by Irish Water also includes a constant flow alarm which will alert Irish Water where there appears to be a leak on a property. Irish Water in turn will alert the affected household of the possible leak. Householders with a meter installed will be provided with a reading of their meter as part of their bill and any unusual usage patterns can be discussed with Irish Water if the householder is concerned. As such, it is not anticipated that the householder will need to read the meter. However, as the meter boxes are not sealed it will be possible for a customer to access the meter to verify readings or to monitor consumption.

Irish Water is putting in place a number of facilities for customers who require special or priority services. This includes the compilation of a confidential special services register for customers who prefer to have some of the services adapted to suit their needs and a confidential priority services register for domestic customers who have a critical medical dependency on water. The special arrangements put in place for the visually impaired have been developed in consultation with the National Disability Association. Information on how to read the meter has been included in customer communications. Irish Water has also contacted all of its customers and asked that householders with disability, mobility or medical concerns contact its call centre in advance of the meter installation so any additional support or advice can be arranged.

It is also important to note that the Government has established the Commission for Energy Regulation, the CER, as the independent economic regulator for Irish Water. In addition to approving the charges levied by Irish Water, the CER has a wider role in protecting and representing the interests of Irish Waters' customers. The Water Services (No. 2) Act provides that the CER must perform its functions in a manner that best serves the interests of customers of Irish Water.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am very concerned that Irish Water may not be fully complying with the EU Measuring Instruments Directive. I ask the Minister of State to confirm that the Department has checked and ensured that we are in full compliance. The aforementioned directive states that no tools should be needed in order to be able to read the meter but one needs a screwdriver to access the meter in the first instance. That is a major concern. It is also worrying that the digits on the meters are very small. I have been reliably informed that one would need a pair of binoculars to read the numbers, particularly the last two digits. These issues are of concern because homeowners will have difficulty determining how much water they are using in order to estimate the size of their bills.

There has been some talk about the possibility of house display units being made available to homeowners, allowing them to read their water meters inside their homes. I ask that such units be provided free of charge to those who have a disability who are not in a position to go outside to interfere with and try to read their water meters. I have been told that the cost of such units could be substantial but I believe that technology should be rolled out and made available to those homeowners who wish to keep an eye on their consumption, particularly in the context of tight household budgets.

Another issue of concern is the fact that householders are being asked by Irish Water to provide their PPS numbers. Many Deputies have had queries from constituents in that regard. Can the Minister of State tell the House what database is currently being used by Irish Water to contact customers? It has come to my attention that Irish Water has written to the wrong people at the wrong addresses in some instances. I ask for clarification on that question.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Flanagan has raised a number of logistical, procedural and operational issues which I will convey to the Minister. I will seek clarification for the Deputy on the various issues he has raised. I am sure officials in the Department are listening to the Deputy right now. I will ensure that the matters he raised, which are of concern to all Members in the House, will be clarified. I thank the Deputy again for raising this very topical issue at this time. Water charges will be introduced very soon and for that reason, many people are interested in these issues.