Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received deputations from businesses which will be financially penalised by new charges on dumping of waste water; his views on whether such charges will ultimately be borne by consumers through higher charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3994/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I have not received a request from the business sector to meet a deputation specifically about charges for water services. The Government's water services pricing policy framework requires local authorities to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, other than households using water services for domestic purposes. In line with Government policy and EU requirements on the application of the polluter pays principle to water services, local authorities are required to recover from all non-domestic customers the average operational costs and the marginal capital costs of providing such users with water and waste water services.

The operational charge by a local authority for the provision of such services to non-domestic users under the water pricing policy framework is based on the actual cost of providing the service. The capital contribution required of non-domestic users towards the cost of new or additional water treatment capacity is on a concessionary basis related to the marginal cost of providing the additional capacity. I consider that the basis on which these charges are calculated is reasonable.