Sir, – I note that Messrs Noonan and Howlin will be discussing a new target date for the introduction of water charges with the troika (Home News, April 9th).
I would really like to invite them all to come and have a cuppa in a town in rural Ireland where many of the residents are already paying for bottled water as the tap water both reeks and tastes of the products used to treat it.
The water is perfectly safe. However, it is completely unpalatable, either straight from the tap or worse still when boiled and used to make a pot of tea or coffee.
I wonder if those experiencing similar quality issues with drinking water could be allowed to deduct the cost of the bottled water from the proposed water charges? – Yours, etc,
CLARE BALFE,
Innisfallen Parade,
Dublin 7.