Results 741-760 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome that the Minister is still here. I oppose this section because I fundamentally believe in social justice. That is the reason I joined Fine Gael. Like Senator Barrett I believe in a just society and so on. I also believed that the Labour Party believed in equality. Let us call a spade a spade. Society is not a level playing field. It never was and it never will be. We are not...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Absolutely.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We are getting there. This example shows that the State will be down €40 for every such customer.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is probably the best news to be given to the country all day.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Here we have an example of a €160 flat charge. There is €100 going back to the customer in the water conservation grant from the Department of Social Protection, or, essentially, the Exchequer. It is appalling that it is coming out of Exchequer funding. It is coming out of funding for hospitals, schools, roads and everything else. It should come from Irish Water but the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It has much to do with it.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It does. I will continue. We are talking about a charge of €160, less the €100 from the State. Now, the customer can think of the bottom line. At the end of the first year, the water will cost the person €60. The meter has been installed and the customer could establish that even based on the meter reading, the volume of water would really only cost €60, so he...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Yes.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I acknowledge what the Minster of State said but I would like to clarify the figures. On a flat charge basis, a family of more than one will pay a gross charge of €260. Everyone will receive a water conservation grant of €100 at the end of 2015 regardless of whether they are conserving, which means a net charge of €160. Is it correct that once a meter is installed, the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Will the Minister give me an example of what amount the rebate could be and how that would be calculated?

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Minister of State's reply was helpful. According to his example, single persons will pay €160 under the capped charge. They will receive a water conservation grant of €100 and, therefore, the net charge will be €60. If they have a meter and it shows they only used €60 worth of water, they will be due €100 back and, therefore, Irish Water will owe them...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: If the water they used only cost €60, they are due €100 back. Irish Water will owe these customers €40 after applying the water conservation grant and the rebate.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am not.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The amendment will be pressed.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I had my hand up. The Chair allowed the Minister of State in to speak before me. I did not mind that but I just want an opportunity to clarify it-----

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It also defers the charge.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am pleased that the amendment was not ruled out of order but, with respect, I believe the ruling was probably incorrect if the other two amendments were ruled out of order. There is no doubt that if we defer the rebate we are deferring the charge, and therefore, of course, there is a potential charge on the Exchequer.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Anyway, let us get back to the meat of the amendment. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, for answering the questions. I am grateful that he has acknowledged the difficult circumstances that some families are in. The effect on me when I heard the charge was not coming in on 1 October and then perhaps on 1 January was striking. I was relieved and took the view that at least it...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, has said the opposite to me. He said that a person only gets the €100 rebate once the meter is installed.