Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 May 2014
142. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the person liable for water charges in the case of rented residential properties such as private rentals, approved housing body rentals, rental accommodation scheme rentals and local authority rentals; if the user pays principle will be applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21905/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra148. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the basis on which it is proposed to ensure domestic water users in homes which do not have meters will not be overcharged when the charging regime commences later this year; and if he will set out the full details of how families whose homes are not metered before charging for water commences will be assessed. [22004/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra149. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the metering of apartments and his target for the number and proportion of apartments that will be metered by the end of the metering installation process in 2016. [22005/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra150. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to the commitment given by him that homeowners would enjoy a free first fix for any faults on the customer side, the basis on which it was decided to limit the period during which this will apply to a mere six months. [22006/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 148 to 150, inclusive, 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 can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. A customer is the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the water charges plan to be prepared by Irish Water is subject to the approval of the CER. The CER is currently undertaking a public consultation on the approach to the design of domestic water tariffs for both metered and unmetered properties. Further consultations are planned for June in relation to other aspects of the water charges plan to be submitted to the CER by Irish Water. The CER will be announcing the approved water charges in August 2014. Full details of the CER’s public consultation plans are available on its website (www.cer.ie).
I have indicated that I intend to use my powers under the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 to issue a policy direction to the CER in relation to a number of matters relating to domestic water charges, including the calculation of assessed charges. Households that are connected to the public water supply, but do not have a water meter installed, will be charged on an assessed basis, primarily based on occupancy . There will also be provision for a rebate, when a customer moves from an assessed charge to a metered charge and usage is deemed above a reasonable threshold by comparison to the subsequent metered usage.
Irish Water has recently commissioned a study on possible approaches to metering properties that are not part of the current metering programme, including apartments and properties with shared service connections. This report was recently submitted to my Department and the recommendations of the report are being considered . In particular, the Department is exploring with Irish Water the potential to include a new phase of metering of some 48,000 apartments, which the report suggests can be easily metered as part of a separate procurement.
The Government has decided to introduce a “first fix free policy” to assist householders who may have leaks on their property. Under this scheme, Irish Water will deliver a scheme entitling every household to a free fix of the first leak on a customer’s water supply pipe. The scheme is estimated to cost some €51 million to the end of 2016. Details of the scheme will be announced by Irish Water shortly.
