THE Department of the Environment has denied it requested local authorities to install water meters in housing estates and insists that such a development is "not part of national policy".
A spokesman said yesterday he had "no idea" why Longford County Council had installed water meters at some of its new local authority houses in Longford. The Department would be asking the local authority why it had taken such a course of action, he added.
Responding to weekend reports that Bray UDC had also made the installation of a facility for water metering a condition for planning approval, the spokesman said that piping had been "configurated" to allow for meters at some stage - but the meters had not actually been installed.
"There is no secret metering programme. That is absurd. It makes no sense to put £200 million worth of meters into houses while we lose 40 percent of water supply through leaky piping. That is where we are investing the money."
The ongoing dispute over water charges is expected to be raised again today in the Dail when the Progressive Democrats attempt to push the matter by way of a Special Notice Question.
During a visit to the new estate where the houses have been fitted with water meters, the leader of the PDs, Ms Mary Harney, said funding for the development had come from the Department's housing allocation.
Calling on the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, to "level with the public about the inevitability of water metering", she said it was inconceivable that he or his officials were not very much aware of what was going on.
"Does the Minister take people for fools? The current system of water charges is totally inequitable and should be abolished. For him to suggest that free water is a long term option for us is nonsense. He knows it, Fine Gael knows it and the quicker they come to their senses on this, the better," Ms Harney added.
Her colleague in Cork North Central and the party's environment spokeswoman, Ms Mairin Quill, claimed that some authorities were insisting that private developers use water meters in any housing development for which they seek planning permission.
"How does this square up with the Minister's public assurances that they will never see water metering in Ireland and that he will insist that Ireland is exempt from the imminent European Directive on Water Policy," she asked.
Senior sources in the Department last night accused Ms Harney of "yet again making wild accusations".
"This Government will not impose a new water charge and the Progressive Democrats will. What happened in Longford is something that we were completely unaware of. It had nothing to do with the Department of the Environment."