Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

It would have been foolish of me to expect to go through 50 sections of the Water Services Bill without reference to water charges. I am delighted to confirm that there are no domestic water charges and the Government does not intend introducing them, whether Senator Bannon welcomes this or not. The Bill does not contain any provisions for the introduction of water charges. Instead, primary legislation would be required to introduce them. Nor does the Bill empower the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, by way of regulation or otherwise, to introduce water charges.