Kildare South TD and Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Martin Heydon, has been appointed as one of Fine Gael’s representatives to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water, which has been established to examine the expert report on water charges.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues across the Oireachtas on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water. The Committee will be chaired by Independent Senator, Pádraig O’Céidigh and I wish him well in the role.

“The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Simon Coveney, has ensured a full representation of the Houses of the Oireachtas on this Committee. We in Fine Gael will work with our colleagues across the Oireachtas to seek a fair outcome for the public in relation to funding the maintenance and improvement of our country’s water and waste systems.

“Fine Gael has always been clear with the public in relation to our stance on water and waste water – we believe in the principle of a modest and fair contribution linked to metered water usage, over and above a free water allowance. The polluter pays approach is the right thing to do from a conservation perspective.”