Update: Public Water Supply – Environment 17th September, 2014

  Question No.     24
 
 
Chun an Aire Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil:
To the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government:                            
 
 
 
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he anticipates reliable public water supply to become available throughout the country including those areas now affected by boil water requirements; the programme to address the various issues in relation to supply, quality and demand that have arisen over the years; if he will set out the expected rate, scale and extent of water charges including allowances for families and/or households catering for persons with disabilities or special needs; when it is expected the first domestic water rate bills will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.
 
 
For ORAL answer on Wednesday, 17th September, 2014.
 
Ref No: 34319/14
 
 
REPLY
 
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. A. Kelly)
 
 
Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has recently published its Proposed Capital Investment Plan for 2014 €“ 2016 and this is available on the Irish Water website, www.water.ie  

. The plan outlines a number of priorities to b e delivered including eliminating Boil Water Notices, improving water q uality, tackling leakage and Investing for economic development.
In addition to this, Section 33 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to prepare a Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP). The WSSP is intended to outline the strategic direction for Irish Water over the short, medium and long-term time frames up to 2040. The WSSP will be a strategic framework which will identify and prioritise the key objectives required to ensure the public water system can meet the challenges of the future. This framework will also allow future capital investment plans to be developed by Irish Water and approved by the Economic Regulator.
 
Domestic water charges will commence with effect from 1 October 2014 and Irish Water will issue the first bills to domestic customers from January 2015. The approach to charging was outlined by Irish Water in a water charges plan submitted to the CER in line with the provisions of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. The CER recently held a public consultation on this plan. This consultation covered a range of issues relating to water charges including the approach to charging where water quality issues arise. The CER is currently reviewing submissions received on the consultation and a determination will be made by the CER later this month. Full details of the CER public consultation are available on www.cer.ie  

.
 
The CER decision will take account of Government decisions in relation to charges and allowances. These include the Government decision to provide a free allowance of 30,000 litres of water supplied and waste water treated per annum for a primary residence on a public supply. The Government has also decided to provide for an additional free allowance to cover the normal usage of water services by every child in their primary residence based on the same qualifying conditions as child benefit, such that water charges will in effect only apply to adults in such households. The CER have also been directed to ensure that the water charges plan makes provision for circumstances where the quality of water services provided by Irish Water to its customers is impaired or where services a re reduced or restricted (eg. b oil water notices).
 
In addition, the Government has decided that charges will be capped for those customers with particular medical conditions which necessitate high water usage. The arrangements will be announced shortly.