“THERE IS NO average household out there” that was the response of Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan when questioned about the water charges.

The Labour TD said “There’s no such thing as an average household, there are very different households”.

Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ 1 this morning, O’Sullivan said she doesn’t believe that an “average” price will help people determine what it will cost them:

There is no average household out there, so having a figure of €240 a year…that doesn’t say what you and I will pay.

“An average is an average, it’s not the whole of the picture”.

Robust 

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald said that there was a ”robust” exchange of views between the two parties on this issue.

But O’Sullivan said both government parties are speaking to each other over the water charges:

People are not not speaking to each other, people are speaking to each other. That’s the way we do business in this government and will continue to do business.

Measuring  

O’Sullivan said that”people will alter their usage…like plastic bags for example”.

She said that ”probably about a quarter of household will be measured”.

The government has to make a decision about the complexity of houses out there…We are particularly concerned about low income households who are already managing their money very carefully.

The Labour Minister said, “We have to take account of households with children who have extra demand, we have to take account of households where there is a particular illness that requires use of water”.

“All of these issues have to be very carefully teased out”.

The issue won’t be finalised until 30 April.

Read: Labour admits: We have ‘substantive differences’ with Fine Gael over water charges>

Read: Taoiseach confirms water bills will be around €240, but nothing signed off on yet>