Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2014
532. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the average collection rate for water charges in respect of non-domestic users; the revenue foregone in 2013 as a result of non-collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37771/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra545. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount collected from commercial water rates since 2010; and the amount envisaged to be collected in 2015. [38003/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 545 together.
The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water and provides for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water. Local authorities have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers on behalf of Irish Water. Non-domestic customer data are migrating from local authorities to Irish Water and this is scheduled for completion by January 2015. Data in relation to collection rates for non-domestic users are contained in the annual Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) Service Indicators report. The most recent of these is the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) report ‘Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2012’, which was published in March 2014. This report is available on the LGMA’s website at:
http://www.lgcsb.ie/sites/default/files/service_indicators_2012_report_for_website_0.pdf.
Data in relation to water charges collected from non-domestic customers are contained in Appendix 7 of the audited Annual Financial Statements of individual local authorities. Details for 2012 are available at http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/AnnualFinancialStatements2012/.
The consolidated Annual Financial Statements and Out turns for 2003 - 2011 are available at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/#d.en.35400.
Last week the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) announced its decision on water tariff levels. The existing arrangements for all non-domestic customers are remaining in place with no changes for the time being. Local authorities will continue to bill for non-domestic water services as agents of Irish Water. It is anticipated that the amount billed to non-domestic customers in 2015 will be some €230 million. The CER will be reviewing all aspects of non-domestic water tariffs under a series of public consultations and will publish the time-line for this process before the end of 2014.
