Sir, – Michael McNicholas, group chief executive of Ervia, the parent company of Irish Water, writes that "in every OECD country . . . water services are paid for partly by public funding, and partly by water charges levied on households. Nobody in those countries objects particularly strongly, nor do they claim that they pay for water twice. The model recently introduced in Ireland is therefore nothing unusual or out of step" ("We need political consensus to implement €5.5 billion water services plan", Opinion & Analysis, July 23rd).
In fact neither charging model proposed for Irish Water followed the normal charging structure for a public utility – charge based on usage. The first system, now abandoned, granted free water to all children irrespective of means, subsidised by adults who could be earning modest incomes. No other utility has a similar charging structure.
The current charging system repeats this fundamental flaw. Two people in a household now pay the same as 10 people. Again, the relationship to usage is tenuous at best but at least the charge is low – for now.
I don’t object to paying for the water I use. I do strongly object to paying for other people’s usage where those other users are not means-tested in any way. – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – The water charges controversy shows no signs of evaporating. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA LYNCH,
Wexford.