Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position in relation to water charges for national schools in County Westmeath and County Longford; if these rates are in line with policy governing this area; the way in which the standard rate is calculated; if the rates increase with the size of the schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23183/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities are required to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, with the exception of householders. The cost of providing water services to the non-domestic sector should be fully recovered by local authorities by means of a meter based volumetric charge. While current arrangements for schools may, as with other non-domestic users, be based on fixed water services charges, local authorities are moving towards the metering of all non-domestic water use.

The unit cost of providing water services will differ between local authorities and there is no standard rate of charging. It is therefore, a matter for each authority to set appropriate charges for non-domestic users of water services at a level necessary for recovery of actual costs.