Coveney details plan for 20-strong water charges committee

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has proposed a 20-member Oireachtas committee to examine the future of water charges.

As part of the confidence and supply arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, an expert commission was established to examine the delivery of water services.

Its recommendations will be forwarded to a newly established Oireachtas committee who will have three months to debate the proposals.

Mr Coveney has sent a proposal to the business committee for the make-up of the committee.

It will include five Government TDs, four Fianna Fáil TDs, two Sinn Féin TDs and one representative from each of the smaller five groupings including Labour,the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit, one representative from the Rural Alliance, one from the Independents4Change and one from the Green Party and Social Democrats.

Four Senators will be included with one Fine Gael Senator and one Fianna Fáil Senator and two others to be chosen by the Upper House.

Mr Coveney said he wants the committee to have a large representation of the various voices across the political spectrum.

He said: “We are trying to build consensus on this difficult issue and I want everyone who wants to be involved to be involved.

“We want the committee to be established in advance of the expert commission’s recommendations.”

There was due to be agreement on the composition at the business committee today.

However it is understood there is some dispute between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the chair and composition of the committee.

The expert commission is due to report back at the end of the month and it is anticipated the committee will begin its deliberations in early December.