Vol. 525 No. 3
288 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the capital and current charges applicable to the commercial sector in relation to sanitary service schemes; if this will be operated uniformly across the country; and if there will be a mechanism for individual businesses to repeal the levies that are placed upon them. [24931/00]
In accordance with Government policy on the application of the polluter pays principle to water services, local authorities are required to recover from non-domestic users, including the commercial sector, the operational and marginal capital costs of providing such users with water and waste water services. Identification and recovery of marginal capital costs by local authorities is now a criterion for the approval of any scheme under my Department's water services investment programme. In relation to operational costs, local authorities must complete the metering of all non-domestic users by 2006 and recover the operational costs of providing water services to those users by means of a volumetric water supply charge. Pending the completion of the metering programme costs can be recovered on the basis of a flat rate charge. These arrangements are to be applied uniformly by all local authorities and there is no provision for the exemption of any business, or other non-domestic, user from the charges. The costs of the provision of water services to domestic users will continue to be met from public funds.
