Paying for water services: The conundrum of how to fund investment

Just about everyone in the water charges debate agrees that water services need fast, generous and sustained investment but the consensus crumbles quickly on the question of how to fund them.

It is almost a year since the expert commission on the funding of domestic public water services published its recommendation that services should be funded from general taxation — a conclusion that was welcomed and rejected with equal zeal.

Business groups in particular were doubtful the right call was made. ISME stated categorically: “There is simply no way that the required €13bn of capital expenditure identified by Irish Water will be paid for through general taxation.”