Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2014
159. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his estimate of the payment rate for commercial water rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45553/14]
View answer160. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of commercial water charges levied by each local authority in 2013; the amount of outstanding water charges taken on by Irish Water broken down by local authority; the amount written off in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45554/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 160 together.
Data in relation to collection rates for non-domestic water users are contained in the annual Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) Service Indicators report. The most recent of these is the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) report Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2012, which was published in March 2014. This report is available on the LGMA’s website at: http://www.lgcsb.ie/sites/default/files/service_indicators_2012_report_for_website_0.pdf.
Data in relation to water charges levied on non-domestic water customers, including in relation to revenue written off, are contained in Appendix 7 of the audited Annual Financial Statements of individual local authorities. Details for 2012 are available at http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/AnnualFinancialStatements2012/.
The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water on 1 January 2014, and provides for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water. Local authorities have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers on behalf of Irish Water. Non-domestic customer data will migrate from local authorities to Irish Water during 2015.
Work is under way in preparing balancing statements for each local authority in relation to their end 2013 position and this will determine the value of liabilities to be transferred to Irish Water.
