Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will give it to the Deputy, if he gives me a chance. It is standard practice in residential leases for tenants to pay their utility bills. They include their water bills. Therefore, there is no basis on which to predict a landlord will seek to evict tenants for not paying their water bills, over and above the non-payment of any other utility bill. Tenants have the full rights of the PRTB process provided under the Residential Tenancies Act. It should also be noted that when evictions happen, it is usually down to non-payment of rent or antisocial behaviour.

Deputy Brian Stanley and others raised concerns about tenancies. Once it is established that there is a tenancy, the relationship between Irish Water and the tenant is for the duration of the tenancy. Where it changes, the tenant has a number of choices. The outgoing tenant can read the meter - the Irish Water website explains in simple terms how he or she can do this - or he or she can contact Irish Water to close the account or ask it for a reading. The incoming tenant can also read the meter. This is simple to do and the instructions on how to do it are on the website. Ultimately, if there are problems, they can be referred to the CER, if not resolved satisfactorily. There is a process to deal with issues raised. The meters can be read by customers.

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