Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to contribute to the debate on the motion on water services tabled by the Rural Independent Group. A central component of the confidence and supply agreement on water charges is fairness to rural and urban dwellers. That was a key outcome of the work of the Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services. There was a need for equity between rural and urban dwellers. The agreement has secured a series of funding increases to group water schemes and established a working group to review funding, combined with a coherent plan for taking in charge estates in rural towns and villages. That should be continued.

As a rural Deputy, I am conscious that what group water schemes are doing is very important. They are supplying and subsidising what should be provided by Irish Water. The situation should be examined and more funding should be made available. Although water charges have been abolished the members of group water schemes are paying for the maintenance and upkeep of the system every year and they must be provided with annual funding to assist them. Where there are no group water schemes in rural areas we have private wells and grants must continue to be provided in order to ensure equity in the system between urban and rural dwellers.

A survey carried out by the 31 local authorities and collated in December 2015 indicated that of the 5,556 developments yet to be taken in charge that developers had provided water services infrastructure in approximately 914 estates. It is very important that those estates would be taken in charge.

I wish to refer to connections provided to people by Irish Water. Water charges are gone but Irish Water is now taking advantage when connecting individuals or businesses to the system. I regularly hear about cases in my constituency where people are charged anything between €11,000 to €15,000 for water connections. That is ridiculous. The situation has got out of hand. Irish Water is only trying to make up for funding that is not otherwise available to it. The company has gone overboard and the situation must be examined. Young couples who are getting married and trying to build homes are being charged up to €15,000 for water connections. The situation must be reviewed. A brewery that started on the Kilkenny and Carlow border received a bill of €250,000 for a water connection. How could any business possibly start up with such a charge for a water connection? The situation is out of control. I urge the Minister to examine the position and to bring an end to those extraordinary charges.

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