“The minister is not giving consideration at this time to bringing in such charges. No proposal has been brought to the minister in this regard and charges do not form part of the current programme for government,” the department said.

It is a measure of just how negative the reaction was to those charges a decade ago that assurances that they are not being introduced still have to be given.

This is hardly surprising. In retrospect the hamfisted attempts to introduce charges served to mobilise opposition, while the subsequent performance of Uisce Éireann, the organisation responsible for water services, has been shambolic. Polluted rivers, hidden compensation schemes, and controversial bonus payments have all tarnished the organisation’s image — while there are swathes of the country where it simply does not provide clean water, the most basic failing imaginable for such a utility.

However, if our infrastructure is not fit for purpose we will still have to upgrade it. The Construction Industry Federation says the poor water supply network is slowing the delivery of housing, and the experience of many consumers confirms that our water network is substandard.

Speaking in America yesterday, the Taoiseach said “there will be no return to water charges”. But one way or another, the bill for better infrastructure will have to be paid, and probably sooner rather than later.

Racing emotions

Cheltenham is always a week of highs and lows, with recent Irish success at the meeting ensuring more of the former for visiting punters. However, the loss of Cork jockey Mikey O’Sullivan cast a shadow over yesterday’s racing. The Newmarket native was injured at a meeting in Thurles and passed away several days later.

In a fairytale twist, Fermoy owner Charlie McCarthy’s Kopek Des Bordes duly won the race named after his fellow Corkman, the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

McCarthy remembered O’Sullivan even as he celebrated: “It’s a wonderful day for me because the race is named after Michael O’Sullivan, he lived about 20km from me and I’ll donate this to the O’Sullivan family, because he was a wonderful jockey. I met his brother earlier and I said: ‘I would love to win it for the O’Sullivan family.’ We’ll enjoy it, we’re from Co Cork, the O’Sullivans and myself, and it’s a wonderful occasion.”

If anything, “wonderful” may be an understatement. McCarthy himself had surgery for kidney cancer just 11 days before the race.

Paul Townend, the jockey who steered Kopek Des Bordes to victory, touched his armband, which had the Cork coat of arms, as he crossed the line: All the jockeys yesterday wore the same armband. Townend paid a warm tribute to his former colleague after he had composed himself: “Michael was a big part of our team and lived locally and he was a Cork man as well, so he’s in everyone’s thoughts every day still. I guess we can count ourselves lucky to have known him for the short time that we did and he was an incredible young man.”

It was unusual to see an unforgiving trade become unexpectedly emotional. It was also good to hear Michael O’Sullivan remembered so warmly.