Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This amendment proposes the deletion of section 49. I cannot accept the amendment. The section provides for an amendment to section 5 of the Water Services Act 2014, which deals with payment of the water conservation grant. It is to provide that an approved housing body in receipt of funding under sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 and responsible for the payment of water charges on a dwelling will be regarded as the occupier of the dwelling for the purpose of determining eligibility for payment of the water conservation grant. This is important to ensure that the occupiers of such properties are treated the same as other domestic customers and the water conservation grant is applied where the approved housing body is paying domestic water rates on behalf of its tenants. This measure ensures that such an outlay on water services is no greater than it would have been had the tenant registered for the charge with Irish Water and received the grant directly. I will not be accepting the amendment.