Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. At Question Time last month he told me the billed amount for domestic water would be €270 million. He also told me that in a written reply. That suggests that he is depending on a 100% compliance rate. He is correct in the sum that Irish Water quoted earlier in the year - €271 million in domestic charges and €229 million in commercial charges, giving €500 million. There will be an Exchequer subvention of €399 million for operational day-to-day costs, but that ignores the fact that there will be a substantial non-payment of these charges. I anxiously await the legislation which the Minister says he is bringing in soon.

Ignoring the water conservation grant and assuming the Minister will do a smoke-and-mirrors job with that, there is a gap in collection because the commercial water rates collected were far lower in the last year for which there are figures.

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