Ms Maria Graham:

The medical issue was raised and we engaged with the Department of Health at one stage on considering various forms of charges. Irish Water has a list of priority customers and people identified as having critical dependency on water. It is not just a matter of the charge but also a matter of a breakage in supply. People who require kidney dialysis, for example, use huge volumes of water. It is very easy to see the reason for their consumption as they are on health lists. It is not as easy for those with other conditions.

If people were given notice that they were about to get an excessive charge it is likely to be due to a leak, a medical condition, their household size, or using too much water. They should be given an opportunity to see what the reasons were and deal with them.