Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 4, line 39, to delete "section 22(1)" and substitute "section 21(1)".

Amendment No. 10 is a drafting provision to amend the reference in subsection (10) from "section 22(1)" to "section 21(1)".

The purpose of amendment No. 13 is to ensure there is certainty regarding specific charges levied by or on behalf of Irish Water during the period from 1 October 2014 to 31 December 2014.

Amendment No. 16 provides for the rewording of the existing subsection (3). The subsection provides that where a dwelling is in receipt of one service from Irish Water, the maximum charge Irish Water can levy is 50% of the capped charge as set out in subsection (2). Therefore, the capped charge that will apply to a house that is either in receipt of a water supply but discharges wastewater into a septic tank or receives its water supply from a private well or other sources and discharges wastewater to the public sewers will be either €80 or €130 per annum. The existing subsection made the same provision, but the amended wording is much clearer in its intent.

Amendment No. 20 is a technical drafting amendment to subsection (6). It provides for the inclusion of a reference to subsection (14), which sets out the capped annual charge to apply to dwellings which first receive water services from Irish Water on or after 1 January 2015. The subsection outlines the caps and the volumetric charges Irish Water may levy.

Amendment No. 21 is a minor drafting amendment to provide for the inclusion of the word "water" after the word "household". This is merely to clarify that the subsection is referring to the household water allowance. The subsection provides that the allowance will cease to apply.

Amendment No. 22 is a minor drafting amendment which provides for the inclusion of the word "water" after the word "child". Again, this is simply to clarify that the subsection is referring to the child water allowance. The subsection provides that the child water allowances provided under the approved water charges plan will apply to all persons who are not adults.

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An adult is a person aged 18 or over. Previously, the child allowance was available on the basis of the same conditions that apply in respect of child benefit payments from the Department of Social Protection.

Amendment No. 24 provides for the deletion of the word "initial" in section 3(15)(b). This will ensure that Irish Water will be allowed to charge for connecting or reconnecting a service to a dwelling. In addition to circumstances in which new customers want to connect to Irish Water's network, we have been informed that there are instances where householders have requested that their dwellings should be disconnected from water supplies. The latter is the case where people may believe that their dwellings will be unoccupied for long periods. The amendment provides for Irish Water to be allowed to charge for reconnections in circumstances where this is the case.

Amendment No. 25 is similar to amendment No. 16, which we discussed earlier. It provides for the rewording of the existing subsection (3), which provides that where a dwelling is in receipt of one service from Irish Water the maximum late payment charge the company may impose will be 50% of the relevant charge set out in subsection (1). As a result, the late payment charge that will apply in respect of a house which is either in receipt of a water supply but which discharges wastewater into a septic tank or which receives its water supply from a private well or other source and discharges wastewater to the public sewer will be €15 per annum. The existing wording makes provision in this regard but I am of the view that the new subsection I am proposing to include is clearer in its intent.

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