Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason he is proposing to proceed with universal domestic water metering prior to establishing the source of leaks while unaccounted for water is running at 60% in some areas and nearly 50% nationally; and his views that such a proposal is directly contradictory to commitments to sustainable development. [8966/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water. The Memorandum of Understanding with the EU, the IMF and the ECB also contains commitments for the reform of water services delivery and operation and the introduction of domestic water charges. To meet these commitments, the Government intends initiating a water metering programme for households on public water supplies in advance of the introduction of water charges. Charging for water based on volumetric usage will encourage more sustainable use of water resources and is clearly not contradictory to sustainable development.

Water conservation measures have also been given a particular priority in the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012. The Programme provides for contracts for water main replacement/rehabilitation to the value of €321m to commence in the Programme period. Published figures for unaccounted for water includes leakage within private properties, which the metering programme will help to address.