Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last February the Taoiseach informed the House that the average water charge would be known before the local and European elections in May. This was a modification of what he said earlier, when he made it clear to the House that individual householders would know their water bills before the local elections. He subsequently modified that to "the average". He told the Dáil: "[T]he Government will, before the local elections, produce, publish and debate the financial and business model dealing with the structure and running of Irish Water."

He stated that it would provide the regulator with the policy framework it needs to proceed with setting the pricing structure, and that involved four key items: the free allowance, the level of public subvention, the first fixed policy, and low-income household supports. That was in February. Despite repeated questions, the Taoiseach has not yet given a firm answer as to when we can expect the production and publication of that model. The only degree of precision we can get from the Taoiseach is that it will be in the next few weeks. For many weeks, we have heard "the next few weeks" emanating from the Taoiseach. One would be forgiven for suspecting that the Government is playing politics with this and that, essentially, it wants to hide or prevent the proper cost of water charges emerging before the local elections. That, in essence, seems to be unfolding.

Despite what the Taoiseach earlier stated, the Regulator is now saying it will be June before he will get it and August before he will be able to do the prices. Many out there are asking how much the water charges will be, and they cannot get an answer. Can the Minister indicate when the Government will be prepared to publish and facilitate the debate on the financial and business model dealing with the structure and running of Irish Water so that people will get some sense of what lies ahead in terms of the level of water charges they might face in the last quarter of this year?

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