John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will request local authorities to introduce a single charge only for county council installed water meters where landowners have split land holdings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22546/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive, the national water services pricing policy framework provides for the recovery by sanitary authorities of the full cost of providing water services from the users of these services, with the exception of households using the services for domestic purposes. This policy of cost recovery from the non-domestic sector extends to the provision of meters, which are necessary to ensure water charging of users according to actual consumption.

Local authorities are at an advanced stage of implementing their non domestic metering programmes and will have substantially concluded these by end 2006. The metering of non-domestic water supply is also intended to incentivise all non-domestic users, including the farming community, to manage and conserve their use of water.

My Department is aware that in some situations non-domestic users, including farmers may need to have a number of separate meters installed on their property. Precise charging arrangements in these circumstances would be a matter for settlement locally between property owners and local authorities. However, in principle the costs associated with the provision of water supply, including the installation of water meters, should be met by the users of the service.