Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

No one has expressed it publicly. I repeat what I say. We are in a situation where we have another issue causing concern to the public and being aired daily. The cost has been reduced so greatly by the Minister in this legislation that most reasonable people that I have met accept that water is being supplied at the lowest possible level of charge. We have therefore also resolved the issue of cost for most reasonable people in this country. We have dealt with the privatisation issue and the billing issue and we have brought certainty into the charges. No one can be sure what is going to happen in ten years time on any issue. So far as it can be done, we have brought certainty by setting out the schedule for charging. We have brought simplicity to the billing system.

We will see a situation where people can pay €5 a week, or whatever other sum they like, towards their water costs in their local post offices.