Sean Barrett (Independent)

Page 41 of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report states that only 52% of the commercial water rates are collected. I am sure the Leader will advise the Minister to get those local authorities to go and collect the money. At this stage, we are short of money. People are uneasy that the wastage problem is being visited upon them when it properly rests somewhere else and that money due to the water authority is not being collected.

The final worrying part in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, on page 55, is that there is a substantial excess cost. They looked at 13 water authorities in Britain and Ireland and on all the indicators, Ireland is far behind. In Scotland, which seems to be the same kind of place with, as Senator Norris pointed out, much rain, the operating cost per connection is €70 and ours is approximately €230. There must be some emphasis on extracting efficiency out of that water industry before we start issuing bills to the public.