Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2015
578. Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount outstanding on commercial water rates; the estimate of the amount that can be recovered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5664/15]
View answer583. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the most up-to-date compliance rates for payment of non-domestic water charges. [5830/15]
View answer603. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount collected in commercial water rates in each of the local authorities in 2013 and 2014. [6047/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 578, 583 and 603 together.
With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. Accordingly, the collection of water charges is now the statutory responsibility of Irish Water. Local authorities have continued to bill for non-domestic water services as agents of Irish Water since 1 January 2014. My Department does not hold information on the amount of outstanding non-domestic water charges owed to Irish Water.
The collection of non-domestic water charges until 31 December 2013 was a matter for the local authority concerned. Income data is published by local authorities in their Annual Financial Statements. The latest year for which audited Local Authority Annual Financial Statement data are available is 2012. Commercial water charges billed in that year amounted to some €187.6 million, while €180.7 million was collected. However, due to the historical arrears which had accumulated in preceding years, a total of €145,110,593 was owed to local authorities in respect of unpaid commercial water charges at the end of 2012, representing a 55% collection rate of all revenues due. The Local Authority Annual Financial Statement 2012 is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/FileDownLoad,39591,en.pdf .
My Department understands that the amount billed to the non-domestic sector, excluding connection charges, for 2014 was approx €180m. Final figures for 2014 will be available in the Irish Water financial statements, later in the year.
