Irish Water Remit

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 October 2014

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Questions (201)

Michael Creed

Question:

201. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the situation with regard to estates which have not been taken over by the local authority and specifically therein the entitlement of Irish Water to charge for water and discharge to a public sewer in circumstances where the discharge is to a private treatment plant owned and operated currently by the developer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40538/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall charge each customer in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that for the purpose of calculating a charge, the amount of waste water discharged from a premises is deemed equal to the amount of water supplied to that premises, unless Irish Water and the customer otherwise agree. Where a customer of Irish Water is resident in an estate which has not been taken over by a local authority, he or she will be liable for a charge for the services he or she receives. In the specific circumstances outlined in the question, where the waste water is being discharged to a private treatment plant owned and operated currently by the developer, the customer would not be liable for a charge from Irish Water for a waste water service. It would be important that such customers include this information when completing the customer verification pack which Irish Water recently circulated to households.