Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It feels like it was yesterday that I last saw the Ceann Comhairle. I thank everyone for their contributions over the past four hours or so. This section relates to water charges for dwellings, although much of the discussion was outside that issue.

Section 3 provides for amendments to the approved water charges planned and they relate to water charges applying to domestic customers of Irish Water, commencing on 1 January 2015. The capped charges will apply from that date until 31 December 2018. The section provides that a Minister may, after consulting with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, by order set maximum charges to apply for periods after 31 December 2018. That is a critical component of the legislation.

The main aspects of the amendments are as follows: a capped maximum charge of €160 for a dwelling occupied by not more than one adult; a capped maximum charge of €260 for an unoccupied dwelling or a dwelling occupied by two or more adults; provision that only 50% of the maximum charge may be applied where a dwelling receives one service from Irish Water, that is, water supply or sewage service; the application of a charge of €260 for a dwelling that has not registered with Irish Water by a date to be prescribed and subject to the capped charges outlined; the setting of maximum volumetric charges of €1.85 per 1,000 litres of water or €3.70 per each 1,000 litres of water and sewage services provided; clarification that the child allowance provided under the improved charges plan shall apply to all persons under the age of 18 and not just persons in receipt of child benefit; and a limitation on the types of additional services for which Irish Water may charge.

In the context of various issues raised, it is important to point out that customers can make complaints about the service. There is a charter in place between Irish Water and the customer, which is overseen by the Commission for Energy Regulation. Section 8 puts the customer dispute resolution service on a statutory basis.

Deputy Cowen asked about timelines in regard to the capital investment programme. The five-year plan will be released shortly and there will be a 25-year plan after that. Deputy Boyd Barrett asked how excess water from storms, etc., would be dealt with. I think he missed the point. The section he quoted was in regard to new connections. It is actually good practice from a planning and water resource point of view and it does not apply to current customers.

A number of Deputies asked if Ireland had a derogation, as outlined in Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive. Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive 2000 requires member states to take account of the principles of recovery of costs of water services in accordance with the principle of the polluter pays, which everyone knows. Article 9.4 of the directive, which has been quoted to me many times in the past week or so, states that the member states are not in breach of the directive if they decide in accordance with established practice not to apply the provisions of the recovery of costs for a given water use activity where this does not compromise the purposes and the achievement of the objectives of the directive. However, Ireland is not specifically named in this directive. There is no exemption and there is nothing to be signed on 1 January. The Government's policy on water charges is fully consistent with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and reflects the commitment entered into as part of the programme of financial support for Ireland agreed between the previous Government and the EU-IMF. Commitments were also made by the previous Government in 2010 in regard to the river basin plan that charges would also be brought in.

I will try to go through the queries raised by Deputies. I think Deputy Donnelly said €271 million would be raised from domestic charges in 2015. Many of these figures are available on my Department's website. Some €899 million is the overall allowed revenue from the CER which includes meter reading, operational costs and financing. Deputy Donnelly asked about charging for sewage services. I understand the question about why people should have to pay for that but the simple fact of the matter is that the wastewater is being taken out. The answer to the people in Arklow is that by taking such revenue, we will be able to provide the infrastructure they badly need and which they should have had many years ago, if there had been a plan in place to do so.

Deputy Donnelly's second question related to how much it will cost to read meters and so on. It will be under €50 million, so the Deputy can do his own figures based on that.

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