Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2014
531. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the energy regulator will have any role in the regulation of not-for-profit group water schemes, that is, schemes that are connected to private water sources as opposed to water sources owned by Irish Water. [43225/14]
View answerThe Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge for water services. The Act also provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the economic regulation of Irish water and the charges to be levied by Irish Water will be subject to the approval of the CER. Following a public consultation process, the CER announced its decision on water charges on 30 September. Group Water Schemes that are supplied by way of a connection to the public water supply network will have previously been non-domestic customers of the relevant local authority and will therefore now become customers of Irish Water. Under the arrangements determined by the CER, the existing charges for non-domestic customers will remain in place pending a further consultation.
Group Water Schemes that have their own water sources will not be customers of Irish Water and are not subject to regulation by the CER.
