*There is no debate on the costs, who pays and the health and security aspects of millions of Smart meters.*

The Irish Government has already spent €650 million on domestic meter's even though International Research has proven that identification of excessive use of water is not justified by the massive expenditure required by the installation of domestic meters.

They are also proposing to spend an additional 300 to 500 million Euros to complete the domestic metering programme plus an annual cost of €30 to 50 millionto administer billing associated with these meters.

Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Water Board's have invested their money in top of the range District metering to identify and repair leakage on the system while the Irish Govt allows 55% of treated water to go to loss. Listen to Scottish Water answer Fine Gael's Alan Farrell on the 'absolute efficiency' of district metering in this Oireachtas video clip.

The problem is this -- the Government, intent on privatisation and charging households, were never interested in impartial international research and findings. If they did they would never have gone down the road of domestic metering. However, having done so, the Government will not now admit their 650 million Euro mistake.

They would squander 1 billion euros plus rather than admit they got it wrong. They will agree to anything and everything in order to proceed with domestic metering.

Bottom Line - NO METERING

Having already wasted 650 million euros on unnecessary domestic water meters, Fine Gael are now insisting on squandering a further 300 to 500 million Euros to complete an unnecessary and highly controversial job, using an excuse that private metering is the best way of preventing excessive use.

However, they have heard from many quarters, including Scottish Water (see video below) that District metering can deliver the same result for a tiny fraction of this cost.

Rather than admit they got it completely wrong they are now hell-bent on a monumental, cynical face saving exercise.

This is not just shameful, it is bordering on CRIMINAL.

February 8th 2017 meeting of Committee on Future Funding of Domestic Water Alan Farrell, Fine Gael TD, admits to hearing from all quarters how district metering can work effectively. Trouble was he was only 100,000 or so out on his estimate water meter figures.

Full Oireachtas Commettee meeting with Scottish and Welsh Water