Water charges - Schools face fresh deluge of debt

One hand giveth, the other taketh away. Fine Gael yesterday raised the ridiculous (and worrying) situation facing primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

Each receives a capitation grant from the Department of Education that is based on the number of pupils in the school. However, while one arm of the State doles out money, another will be busily siphoning that money back from now on.

Every school in the country will now be subject to water charges for the first time. Yesterday in the Dáil FG leader Enda Kenny cited a number of examples — one school in Sligo faces an €8,000 bill; another in Longford has a potential exposure of €10,000.