Jackie Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason five schools in Killarney, County Kerry are being charged in excess of €20,000 each for water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9713/04]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's national water services pricing policy framework requires local authorities to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, with the exception of households using the services for domestic purposes.

It is a matter for each local authority to set the appropriate level of charges for non-domestic users of water services. At present local authority water services charges and the process used for calculating non-domestic costs vary. Local authorities are, in accordance with the Government policy, moving to a more uniform system for determining and applying water services charges. In this regard, the policy framework requires full recovery of the cost of providing water services to the non-domestic sector by means of a meter based volumetric charge. The policy is being progressively implemented in the period to 2006 and is in accordance with an appropriate application of the polluter pays principle and the requirements of Article 9 of the EU water framework directive.