Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Deputy Hayes and thank him for taking this matter on the Adjournment, regarding the case of an elderly lady who is living full time in a nursing home. I have been contacted by her son, who reports that his mother has been billed for €125 for water and wastewater services for the year in her family home. She does not live there and nor does anybody else, so the house is vacant.

After speaking with this lady's family member, I immediately contacted Irish Water for the details of the rules and regulations for a vacant house. Irish Water informed me that the owner of a vacant domestic property is liable for a minimum annual charge, irrespective of consumption or occupancy circumstances. This minimum charge amounts to €62.50 per annum per service provided, so that is where it came up with the figure of €125. My point is that if the lady were living at home, she had the household package, which she lost when she went into the nursing home. She would then, in effect, probably be liable for about €75 when all the allowances are taken into consideration. By living out of the house and not using any water, she is being charged €50 more. Before entering the nursing home to live full time due to her illness, she would have received the household package, which would have entitled her to pay less.

I find the whole issue very strange.

Nobody is living in the house and, therefore, a minimal volume of water is used. However, she is being charged for more than that. I am sure many others are in a similar position to this lady or they have family members who are in this position. In total, 80% of her pension is going to the nursing home while 22.5% of the value of her house is going to the State. Therefore, she is left with 20% of her pension. Those who reside in nursing homes are being seriously penalised. I have raised this in order that something can be done and specific cases examined. It is one thing if somebody has a second home and uses it some of the time as a holiday home but this house is vacant and the only time water is used, as reported by the lady's son to me, is when the heat comes for an hour a day to keep the house damp free.

Another query I received relates to the use of PPS numbers and how long they will be kept on file by Irish Water. Could the Minister of State give a response to that? Irish Water is a semi-State body. Is there is a data protection issue if PPS numbers are retained indefinitely? I would be grateful if the Minister of State and Irish Water outlined the IT precautions being taken to ensure data protection is not breached. It is highly unusual for semi-State utility companies to retain PPS numbers indefinitely. We need clear assurances from Irish Water that people's personal details are safe and protected as well as an explanation for the need to retain these details indefinitely.

I welcome the water services support payment of €100 annually, which will be paid quarterly to individuals in receipt of the household benefits package, but a person who no longer resides in the family home for health reasons and, therefore, does not use water or wastewater services and who must pay 80% of her pension to the nursing home for her care and 22.5% of the value of her house to the State under the fair deal scheme, should only be liable for a minimal charge, which could be attributed to leakages.