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Water committee told meters should be installed in all new houses

The water committee has gotten fresh legal advice on the final report.

FRESH LEGAL ADVICE to the water committee on their final report on water charges has said that water meters should be installed in all newly-built houses.

The senior counsel, who also advised the committee last week on the report, recommended meters be included for new builds and building refurbishments to ensure Ireland complies with the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.

This is a departure from last week’s advice to the committee, however, the counsel states the substantial changes made to this section could “cause difficulty”.

The latest advice also makes reference to including levies for those who waste water under the Water Services Act 2007.

Fianna Fáil maintains the Act could be beefed up to deal with charging those who waste water. The legal advice to the committee states that this can be done through amending the legislation.

The committee has been advised there is an issue with some of the “phraseology” in the report and recommends the use of term “excess use” be included in the final report in relation to levies.

The 20-member committee, which was tasked to deal with the issue of charges, metering and ownership, is to vote on the final report this afternoon.

The senior counsel is currently briefing the committee on the advice submitted.

Labour and Fine Gael were expected to vote against the report earlier, prior to the legal advice. It is now unclear what the outcome may be.

Once the report is accepted, the government is bound to bring forward legislation within one month.

Solidarity-PBP’s Paul Murphy, who is a member of the committee, questioned why there has been a ”180″ in the advice given to the committee.

“This is a political report from a committee and we should vote on it today as it is, pass it and abolish water charges and listen to the people,” he told TheJournal.ie.

Read: Some people in Italy are very upset about Silvio Berlusconi hugging and kissing this lamb >

Read: This tiny, family-run newspaper in Iowa just won a Pulitzer Prize >

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    Mute Madra
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    Dec 26th 2021, 8:40 AM

    This is awful.

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    Mute limerick birder
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    Dec 26th 2021, 10:40 AM

    Surprise surprise, another one of our bird species is on its way out. Our in government green party say they pride themselves on being all about our planet and its biodiversity, yet it sits on its hands as badly need funding is needed for several projects to save endangered species. The Hen Harrier, Corncrake and Curlew will all go the way of the Corn Bunting. Its sad to think that these birds will disappear from the summer chorus in Ireland due to ignorance.

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    Mute Johannes Baader
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    Dec 26th 2021, 10:25 AM

    So forestry is driving up the numbers of predators….. It is definitely also driving up the numbers of wild deer across the country to insane levels. It also pollutes our rivers and lakes….. why is Coillte still operating this way? MONEY

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Dec 26th 2021, 9:54 AM

    Presumably the predators associated with the coniferous plantations are pine martins?

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Dec 26th 2021, 11:09 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: Foxes and crows also.

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    Mute Ian Hester
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    Dec 26th 2021, 10:45 AM

    The the cost of building roads for access and removal of harvested stock exceeds any profiteering, so Coillte are just another quango… The construction of roads also fragment the habitat….. Official Ireland is a joke

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Dec 26th 2021, 1:40 PM

    @Ian Hester: Those roads are also essential fire breaks that often save habitat from destruction.

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    Mute Colin Keogh
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    Dec 26th 2021, 11:00 AM

    They are ground nesting so rats can be a big problem disturbing nests and eating eggs

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    Mute Shane Nolan
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    Dec 27th 2021, 4:56 PM

    Not surprised, never any urgency to protect our wildlife, generally very poor attuide to our environment and wildlife here. Barely any left at this rate in general. Hope these birds do get support to help maintain population

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    Mute Roy Ferguson
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    Dec 26th 2021, 10:00 AM

    I was thinking the same about the pine martins but aren’t their numbers also very low. Seems like one big mess

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