Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 February 2018
636. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if arrangements have been made to retrospectively increase the house water grant to group water schemes to ensure these schemes can reimburse householders for domestic water charges on a basis similar to the reimbursement made to Irish Water customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5879/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Water Services Act 2017, which was signed into law on 17 November 2017, provided the mechanism through which the majority of the recommendations of the April 2017 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services are introduced. The Act made provision for, among other things, the refund of water charges paid by customers on public water services (Irish Water) for the period 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2016 i.e. the period when domestic water charges were applicable.
In the interests of the principles of equity of treatment and equivalent financial support being applied between households using public water services and those supplied from group water schemes, as also recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, the pre 1 January 2015 maximum subsidies available were retrospectively restored by my Department for the period 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2016.
On 29 November 2017, my Department issued Circular L8/17 to local authorities advising them of the restoration of maximum subsidies to householders on group water schemes for the period. A copy of Circular L8/17 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/rural-water-programme/group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues.
