Water meters saga has left confidence drained

LATER this week the Government will unveil its €115bn plan for developing the country up to 2040. We must hope that it will have taken on board the costly lessons of Irish Water when it comes to financing vital resources for the future. Long-time funding for water and the massive costs of upgrading Victorian piping have been included in the plan. Among other projects, Irish Water wants to see the construction costs of up to €1.4bn for a pipeline to supply Dublin with water from the Shannon included in the capital plan.

It is the taxpayer who picks up the bill and that is why conservation and fairness must be at the heart of investment.

There was massive resistance to the installation of water meters deemed vital for preventing waste and also for guaranteeing equality and accuracy in estimating bills.

Now it emerges that those who blocked the installation of meters will be rewarded. Homes with meters will have to pay for excessive usage, or for using beyond their allowance, but those who have no meters will escape, as there is no real means of assessing their usage accurately.

As always, it is the compliant and law-abiding who will be left footing the bill. It has been noted that fairness does not mean everyone gets the same, but that they get what they need.

Even by this yardstick, there is no equity, as those who flouted the law will be able to waste as much as they want with impunity.