The Government today (4th January 2008) announced details of the transitional arrangements which will apply for schools water services as part of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.
On the 18th December 2007, the Taoiseach announced that the Government was considering the implementation of transitional arrangements involving the payment by schools of flat rate water services charges proportionate to the school size during which period schools would monitor water usage and institute necessary repairs and conservation measures.
The Government has now completed its consideration of the matter and reiterates its commitment to full implementation of the Directive, which has as its objective the promotion of water conservation and the efficient use of water as an important and scarce natural resource. The legal advice available to the Government is that under the EU Water Framework Directive all non domestic users must pay for water used. Schools, like other non-domestic water services users, must pay water charges. The legal advice also confirms that they will be required to pay the full cost of water services used by them on a metered basis, with effect from 1 January 2010. The Directive also requires that measures are put in place up to 2010 to move towards full cost recovery.
For the transition period the Government agreed that non-fee paying recognised schools will pay a flat rate per pupil fee as follows
2007 - €3.00 per year per pupil enrolled**
2008 - €3.50 per year per pupil enrolled
2009 - €4.00 per year per pupil enrolled
** For 2007, charges applied based on metering will be recalculated on the transitional flat rate with a credit given for any excess payment. In cases where arrears exist in relation to previous years schools should discuss a payment arrangement with their Local Authority.
If actual usage as recorded by a meter would produce a lower charge than the flat rate the lower bill will apply for the transition period.
The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government will advise local authorities of the detailed arrangements which will be put in to place to implement this decision.
The new arrangements being announced today afford schools the opportunity to put in place the necessary water conservation arrangements and practices and undertake necessary works to ensure that when full water charges are introduced in two years time schools will have significantly reduced their water usage and, by virtue of good water conservation, be in a much stronger position to meet their water charges. Those schools with very high water consumption will be identified and contacted with a view to introducing measures to help them reduce water usage.
An information package will be prepared for schools on the most appropriate measures to minimise excess consumption of water and to reduce wastage where it exists. As part of this exercise, technical guidance and specifications for the most common problems that are likely to arise in this area will be provided.
In addition, water conservation issues will continue to be addressed by the Department of Education and Science as a matter of routine where new schools are being built or where major renovations are being carried out to existing schools under the schools modernisation programme.
ENDS