Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
335. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the review of water allowances for both Irish Water and group water scheme consumers; if he is committed to restoring parity to the limits for each; his views on whether a 41% reduction in the allowance (details supplied) for equivalent households is unfair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42076/21]
View answerThe Review of Demand for Water Services (2017), undertaken by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities reported that the average amount of water supplied by Irish Water to a dwelling was 125,000 litres per year. Based on this report, the Water Services Act 2007 (Threshold Amount and Allowance Amount) Order 2017 specifies that the threshold amount of water services for domestic customers of Irish Water be set at 213,000 litres per dwelling per year i.e. 1.7 times the CRU’s estimated rate of demand by a dwelling in line with the relevant provisions of the Water Services Act 2017. Any future review of the demand for water services provided by Irish Water is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
In 2017, my Department also undertook a review of the Group Water Schemes’ subsidies, in consultation with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, the representative body for the sector. The proposed improvements to the subsidy arrangements were subsequently endorsed by the Federation through a special delegate conference held on 13 December 2017. These improvements included the application of an annual household water services threshold of 160,000 litres per year, as recommended by the Federation based on extensive consumer metering of the sector. The improved subsidy arrangements, came into effect on 1 January 2018. There are no plans by my Department to review the annual household threshold at the present time. Further information can be found on my Department’s website www.housing.old.gov.ie/water/water-services/rural-water-programme/circular-l218-subsidy-towards-operational-costs-group.
In the context of the the recommendations of the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services (April, 2017) that there be equity of treatment and equivalent financial support between household on the public water system and those availing of private water supplies, the review of Group Water Subsidies has fulfilled the recommendations of the Committee having resulted in substantial improvements in the current funding available under the Rural Water Programme, to Group Water Schemes.
