Galway schools are reacting angrily to news that they will not be exempted from water charges. Instead, the government is to introduce a flat rate per pupil of €3.50 for 2008, which will rise to €4 next year. However, from 2010 a meter system will be installed in order to ensure that schools follow EU water conservation guidelines.

According to Virginia O'Mahony of the Irish Primary Principals Network, teachers are "deeply disappointed" with the outcome of the deliberations. Teachers see this as "a further imposition on the already impoverished primary schools", she said. She said many schools unable to cope will now be loaded with water charges they cannot pay.

Mrs O'Mahony said the situation regarding water charges was still very confusing for school principals. "There are many questions as to what will happen in 2010. Will it then be up to local authorities again ? is there a possibility of different rates? We have had a lot of calls into our office from principals with enormous concerns."

Another point, she added, was that there was "not a lot of clarity with outstanding bills." Galway-based Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames said there are serious legal implications to what she called "charging children for water".

"This FF/Green Government could be leaving the State wide open to being sued for not meeting the running costs of a school, a place where children are in fact obliged to attend, by law, up to age 16. Based on the constitutional entitlement of children to primary education, the question must be asked - is this government in breach of the constitution by failing to adequately fund primary education?" asked Senator Healy-Eames, who is Fine Gael's Seanad education spokesperson.

"Children have a constitutional entitlement to public primary education under our national school system. It follows, therefore, that there is a constitutional obligation on the State to provide resources and funding for children in their education. These resources include the provision of water, an essential resource for health, safety and curriculum needs, in some cases. As confirmed by figures obtained from the IPPN (Irish Primary Principals' Network), the current capitation grant is only meeting about half the costs of what is currently needed to fund the running of primary schools. This is before the new water charges are factored in. In reality, therefore, we have severe under-funding of primary education are in fact at the bottom of the list among OECD countries," she concluded.

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