Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As well as making economic sense, the driving force behind the introduction of water charges is the legal obligation to recover the cost of water services under article 9 of the water framework directive. That is why the last Government had to sign up to it. There was no choice. The EU water framework directive is based on the principle of the polluter pays and there is a legal obligation to implement properly cost recovery measures for a wide range of water services, including domestic water services. I am not making this up. Senator Darragh O’Brien knows this well. He is smiling. He has it off by heart. He signed it.