Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2015
160. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in the case of a leak in the pipes of council tenant properties, the person responsible for fixing them, and in the case of private tenant properties, if the landlord or the tenant is responsible. [15833/15]
View answerWith the installation of domestic water meters, it becomes possible to identify domestic properties with leaks. If Irish Water suspects that there is a leak at a domestic property it will inform the property owner/occupier accordingly. The occupier will also be able to check this as it will usually manifest itself as a high meter read or a continuous flow of water through the meter. If the leak is on the public side of the infrastructure it is the responsibility of Irish Water to locate and fix the leak. If the leak is on the private side of the supply pipe it is the responsibility of the owner to locate and fix the leak, as set out in the Water Services Act 2007.
However, the Government has agreed to provide additional funding to Irish Water for their capital investment to include a free first fix scheme which will cover leaks between the boundary of the property and the dwelling (but will not include leaks internal to the dwelling). Irish Water has submitted a draft first fix scheme to the CER. On 15 April the CER launched a public consultation in relation to the draft scheme. Full details of this consultation are available on CER's website, www.cer.ie.
