Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 November 2016
67. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the contingency plans in place to provide Irish Water with an additional €58 million in the event that the Oireachtas votes to abolish water charges in 2017. [35459/16]
View answerAn Expert Commission has been established to make recommendations for the sustainable long-term funding model for the delivery of domestic water and wastewater services by Irish Water. The Commission will report to a Special Oireachtas Committee and consideration of recommendations on the funding model will ultimately be voted upon by the Oireachtas next year. Pending the outcome of the Expert Commission on the funding of domestic water services and the consideration of the Commission’s report by the Oireachtas, it is not possible to determine what financial implications may arise for Irish Water post March 2017; the financial implications arising from the suspension of water charges up to March 2017 have already been addressed by the Government.
On 30 September 2016, the CER published its consultation on the level of Irish Water's allowed revenue, including proposals on operational and capital budgets, for the 2017 and 2018 period with a view to a final decision being made by the CER by end 2016. A copy of the CER's consultation paper is available on its website, www.cer.ie.
