I am acutely aware of the pressures on businesses at the present time. In recent years local authorities have been asked by my Department to exercise restraint or, where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges. Local authorities have responded well to such requests and in 2013, 87 out of the 88 rating authorities have either reduced their ARV or kept it the same as in 2012. I intend shortly to ask local authorities to again exercise restraint or, where possible, reduce commercial rates and local charges for 2014.
The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group. The Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013, which I expect to publish shortly, will provide for the transfer of water services functions from the 34 local authorities to Irish Water. The Bill will also provide for the establishment of an independent economic regulator for water services within the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). It is intended to provide in the Bill that non-domestic water charges and tariffs that are in place in each water services authority for 2013 will be carried over to 2014 pending the approval of new tariffs by the CER. The table below shows the standard unit for water in and wastewater charged by each local authority in 2013.
Local Authority
|
Water In
|
Waste Water
|
Carlow
|
1.00
|
1.30
|
Cavan
|
1.10
|
1.41
|
Clare
|
1.65
|
1.24
|
Cork City
|
0.98
|
1.17
|
Cork
|
0.94
|
1.19
|
Donegal
|
1.50
|
1.01
|
Dublin City
|
1.16
|
0.83
|
Dun Laogh/Rath.
|
1.04
|
1.24
|
Fingal
|
1.02
|
1.19
|
South Dublin
|
1.45
|
0.48
|
Galway City
|
1.10
|
1.00
|
Galway
|
1.19
|
1.26
|
Kerry
|
1.10
|
0.83
|
Kildare
|
0.80
|
0.79
|
Kilkenny
|
0.96
|
1.93
|
Laois
|
0.96
|
1.45
|
Leitrim
|
1.10
|
1.18
|
Limerick City
|
1.25
|
1.45
|
Limerick
|
1.25
|
1.45
|
Longford
|
1.25
|
1.15
|
Louth
|
1.00
|
1.10
|
Mayo
|
0.97
|
1.43
|
Meath
|
1.42
|
1.23
|
Monaghan
|
1.01
|
1.10
|
Offaly
|
1.16
|
1.24
|
Roscommon
|
1.22
|
1.50
|
Sligo
|
1.26
|
1.23
|
North Tipp.
|
1.20
|
1.20
|
South Tipp.
|
1.10
|
1.20
|
Waterford City
|
1.15
|
1.20
|
Waterford
|
1.06
|
1.60
|
Westmeath
|
1.00
|
1.07
|
Wexford
|
1.21
|
1.45
|
Wicklow
|
1.41
|
1.63
|