A minimum threshold for school water rates should be introduced and schools should only have to pay a levy if it is exceeded, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said yesterday.
"If we had domestic water rates in Ireland, families would be paying €700 or €800 per annum, but we won that argument, we don't have that, but we didn't win the argument for the schools which unfortunately is why they are being levied," Ms Hanafin said.
Speaking on yesterday's RTÉ's News at One the Minister said her aim was to "make sure" that the amount schools pay for water "is minimal". She also called for consistency around the country and said that there should be account taken for schools that are green and in disadvantaged areas.
Earlier this week, Rodríguez Romero of the European Commission told The Irish Times that a clause exists which allowed the Irish Government to exempt schools from having to pay water charges.
Ms Hanafin said the Water Directive comes under the Department of the Environment remit and that "they are certainly going to check it out, but it is not their understanding".
" I would be the first as the Minister for Education to be able to say that I don't see why the domestic waiver that is there couldn't be transferred to children while they are in school," Ms Hanafin said.
Four-thousand water meters are currently being installed in schools throughout the State and the Dáil heard earlier this week that one school in Co Sligo was facing a €7,000 bill, while one in Co Galway must find €8,000.
Ms Hanafin said schools in this position should talk to their local council.
She said that in some cases a leak over the summer was the cause of the high bill and some councils were flexible.
