Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The amendment that was ruled out of order deals with an area we have touched upon without going into any detail, which relates to the water conservation measures that could be put in place. If certain schemes are to be introduced, such as support for domestic water harvesting or the replacement of old toilet cisterns with dual function ones, who will give the grant aid towards those? The Bill is predicated on the assumption that water metering should reduce consumption. However, the international data do not necessarily back that up. The UK Environment Agency has highlighted that consumption in England, where water metering has been in place for many years, is at 158 litres per head per day. In Wales it is at 141 litres per head per day. The Dublin water supply report for 2008 indicated consumption at 148 litres per head per day. Consumption even in areas of England where metering has been introduced, is higher than in Dublin where we do not have metering. So there needs to be a focus, as we have contended since the beginning of the debate, on other conservation issues.

Will any of the money that Uisce Éireann will raise through water metering go to grant aid the conservation measures envisaged or will that grant aid come from the Department? If so is it coming from the general Department budget and therefore funded by the general taxation through PAYE, VAT etc.? Is specific grant aid for these measures coming from a separate pot as opposed to the money collected by Uisce Éireann?