Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The introduction of domestic water charges is provided for in the programme for Government and the memorandum of understanding with the European Union, the IMF and the ECB. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water. It has decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. It has also decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Energy group, will be responsible for the metering programme. The procurement process for the metering programme is under way. It is expected that the installation of meter boxes and domestic water meters will begin in the middle of this year and rolled out as quickly as possible thereafter. The Water Services Act 2013 assigns the necessary powers to Irish Water to allow it to undertake the metering programme. Census 2011 reported that approximately 1.35 million domestic properties were connected to public water supplies in Ireland. The objective is to install meters in the maximum number of these properties. A national survey has commenced to provide additional information on the suitability of individual properties for metering and on the work involved for the installations.

In recent years many local authorities have required developers to install meter boundary boxes in domestic properties. Local authorities have installed boundary boxes in some areas as part of water mains rehabilitation works. As local authorities have not installed water meters in these boundary boxes, no issues relating to the compatibility of meters will arise. Where a boundary box has been installed, the cost of installing a meter will be significantly lower as no excavation or reinstatement works will be required. The suitability of existing metering boundary boxes for the current metering programme is being examined as part of the national survey I have mentioned. The installation of meters is labour-intensive. Minor excavation and reinstatement works will be involved after the installation of the meter. It is estimated that the metering programme will sustain up to 1,600 jobs over two to three years. This will provide much needed employment in the construction sector. Other skills such as customer care experience will also be required. Irish Water will establish a new call centre to deal with customer inquiries. This will employ up to 375 people from 2014. At least 25% of the estimated 1,600 jobs created directly by Irish Water's domestic water metering programme will be given to people from small local businesses, the unemployment register and school leavers, graduates and apprentices.

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