Skip to main content
Normal View

Water Charges Introduction

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Questions (441, 455, 470)

Alan Farrell

Question:

441. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to assess water charges until water meters are implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6579/13]

View answer

Peter Mathews

Question:

455. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if apartment complexes will have individual water meters installed for each unit throughout the complex or will one unit be installed and the cost of water used be charged to the management company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6845/13]

View answer

Eoghan Murphy

Question:

470. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the way he intends to deal with water charges in apartment buildings; and if he will give a commitment that each apartment will have its own meter. [7226/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 441, 455 and 470 together.

The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has therefore decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the domestic water metering programme and for the collection of water charges from households from 2014.

The Government has also decided to assign responsibility for the economic regulation of the water sector, including the setting of charges, to the Commission for Energy Regulation. The primary role of the regulator will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them.

As the metering programme will still be underway in 2014, an appropriate approach to charging customers who are not metered at that stage will be put in place. This will be structured in such a way as to ensure that it represents a reasonable proxy for usage and is fair. The approach to charges for both metered and unmetered properties will be included in a public consultation taking place this year as part of the regulatory process.

My Department estimates that up to 300,000 households may not be metered in the initial metering programme due to either the high cost or the technical difficulty of doing so. Where conventional meter installation is not possible, it is intended that alternative approaches will be considered. For example, for housing units in apartment complexes, internal metering may be considered.

Top
Share