The Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht will continue its investigation into the supply, storage, provision, disposal and cost of water when it will meet with Professor Frank Convery, Environmental Institute, UCD and representatives from the National Consumer Agency.
Professor Convery has written extensively on resource and environmental economics issues with particular reference to agriculture, forestry, energy, minerals, land use, urbanisation, environment and development in developing countries. He is a strong advocate of water pricing to ensure effective and economically efficient water management.
The meeting is the latest in series of engagements with interested parties and stakeholders which are designed to give members of the Joint Committee an overview and also a thorough understanding of the major issues in the water sector. Having considered the evidence put before it, the committee will publish its own report and put forward proposals to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 6th December, in Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2000 at 2.15pm. On Wednesday, 7th December, Minister of State with responsibility for the New Era project, Fergus O’Dowd, TD will appear before the Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government to discuss the 2011 Supplementary Estimates for Public Services – Vote 25 (Environment, Community and Local Government).