Water charges - Clarity is essential on actual cost

It is never cheering to face a new, mandatory cost-of-living charge but yesterday’s announcement that details on water charges have been finalised might best be seen as a step towards normalisation of society, a step towards accepting an idea active in most developed countries — that there is a cost for everything and consumers must pay in accordance with usage.

However, as always seems to be the case in politics, early indications must be carefully considered before any judgement is reached. Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s suggestion that an average family — defined as two adults and 0.7 children — should expect to pay €240 a year may be wildly optimistic. It has been suggested that many bills might be almost twice that. If that is case then yesterday’s broad-sweep announcement was designed to mislead an angry electorate weeks before elections. Not only would that undermine the project’s cultural acceptance but it would unfortunately justify deepening cynicism around this Government.

Nevertheless, providing drinking water is a costly business — €2bn a year — so it is reasonable to ask users to pay towards that. The charge, whatever it may be, is fixed for just two years and a range of allowances are included to support those unable to pay.