Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 March 2015
12. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money collected from commercial water charges in 2013 and 2014; and the projected yield from commercial water charges in 2015. [9084/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. Accordingly, the collection of water charges is now the statutory responsibility of Irish Water. Local authorities have continued to bill for non-domestic water services as agents of Irish Water since 1 January 2014.
The collection of non-domestic water charges until 31 December 2013 was a matter for the individual local authority concerned. Income data is published by local authorities in their Annual Financial Statements. The latest year for which audited Local Authority Annual Financial Statement data are available is 2012. Commercial water charges billed in that year amounted to some €187.6 million, while €180.7 million was collected. The Local Authority Annual Financial Statement 2012 is available on my Department’s website; details of the relevant link will be circulated with the Official Report.[ http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/FileDownLoad,39591,en.pdf.]
My Department understands that the amount billed to the non-domestic sector, excluding connection charges was approximately €180m in each of 2013 and 2014. Final figures for 2013 will be reflected in the audited local authority Annual Financial Statements for that year, which should be available shortly. Final figures for 2014 will be available in the Irish Water financial statements later this year. The projected yield for commercial water charges in 2015, including connection charges, is expected to be of the order of €229m.
