Taoiseach: Not many schools have big water bills

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern insisted yesterday that only a small number of schools had received substantial bills for water usage.

He also denied claims that the Government had performed a U-turn by telling schools to hold onto their bills for the time being.

But he could not say exactly how schools would be levied in the future, saying the Government would work on the issue between now and January, when pupils return following Christmas holidays.

Schools are currently being levied depending on the amount of water they use. Last week, the Government had insisted it was powerless to prevent the bills as it had to implement the EU water framework directive, which made no exemption for schools.

However, in the face of mounting controversy, Mr Ahern announced on Tuesday that there would be a transition period — possibly until the end of 2009 — during which schools would be charged only a flat rate.

In addition, Mr Ahern told schools they should not pay their existing bills until the Government worked out exactly how the transition period would operate.

Yesterday in the Dáil, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the U-turn on water charges was another example of the Government’s record of “inconsistency and confusion”.

Mr Kenny asked the Taoiseach how the flat-rate system would operate until the end of 2009, and whether schools would then be obliged to pay in full for the water they used from 2010.

In response, Mr Ahern said the length of the transition period had not yet been decided, but could possibly be up to the end of 2009. The flat rate would be levied in accordance with school size.

“We cannot just have a flat rate after 2010, whereby one would have one’s bill paid regardless of the amount of water one uses,” said Mr Ahern.

In any case, he insisted, “most of the 4,000 schools in the Republic have quite low charges”.

“I looked into the number of schools that have received large bills and not many have received such bills,” he said.

He said the cabinet would release a statement before the schools return on January 7.

Q: Where are these bills coming from?

A. Directly, the bills are coming from local authorities. Indirectly, the bills emanate from the EU Water Framework Directive, one of the goals of which is to ensure sustainable use of water.

To encourage sustainable use, consumers will be charged in accordance with how much water they use.

The directive requires member states to “ensure that the price charged to water consumers ... reflects the true costs”.

Q. And the Government signed up to this directive?

A. Yes.

Q. Without seeking an exemption for schools?

A. The Government secured a derogation for homes, meaning householders will not pay. But it tried and failed to secure a derogation for schools, according to Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

Q: And so schools are being charged?

A: Yes.

Q: But there’s some sort of climbdown?

A: The Government denies that it has performed a climbdown or U-turn. But it says it will introduce a transition period — possibly lasting until the end of 2009 — during which schools will be charged only a flat rate.

Q: What does “flat rate” mean?

A: It means a set charge, which will be predetermined by the size of the school, rather than the amount of water the school uses.

It’s like agreeing a once-off annual charge for use of a mobile phone, rather than charging depending on the number of calls made.

Q: So what happens to schools’ existing bills?

A: Unclear, for now. The Taoiseach told schools to hold onto their bills — and therefore not pay them — until the Government has worked out exactly how the transition period will operate. Neither the Taoiseach nor the Government has said what will ultimately happen with these bills, however.

Q: When will the Government know?

A: Mr Ahern said Government officials would discuss the issues in the coming days, and the Cabinet would meet on January 4, with a view to having ready all the answers by the time the schools return from Christmas holidays on January 7.

Q: And what happens after the transition period ends?

A: Mr Ahern says there will be a “flat rate” system with “incentives” for schools to keep their water usage low.

This effectively means that, one way or another, once the transition period is over, the more water schools use, the more they will pay.