Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the purpose of including questions on water on the application form for the household charge; if he intends to retain that information within his Department or if it will be provided to any other body or agency; if so, whether there are data protection implications; of the 1.6 million households who are estimated to be liable to pay the charge, the number who might qualify for a waiver; if common guidelines have been issued to local authorities in relation to waivers; if so, the contents of same; the estimated number of households that will qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5716/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislation underpinning the household charge.

Section 6 of the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides for the preparation and maintenance of a database of residential property in the State. It provides that information for the purposes of the database may include details of the accommodation, facilities and services available in respect of properties. It is in this context that the information on water supply is required.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is administering the household charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils. The LGMA is collecting and holding all of the data for the purposes of the household charge.

Section 14 of the Act provides for data sharing and exchange for the purposes of the household charge. Officials from my Department have met recently with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to the operation of the data sharing provisions in the legislation. It has been agreed that protocols will be developed for the exchange of data in consultation with that Office and with relevant agencies/bodies in advance of utilisation of the legislative provisions of the Act.

The waivers which apply under section 4 of the Act concern -

· Owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement, and

· Owners of houses in certain prescribed unfinished housing estates.

It is estimated that there are some 18,000 households in receipt of mortgage supplement and some 34,000 properties in unfinished housing estates eligible to claim a waiver from payment of the household charge. Guidelines as such have not been issued by my Department to local authorities on the waivers available under the Act. However, the Schedule in the 2012 Regulations contains the list of developments prescribed for the purposes of the unfinished estates waiver. The LGMA website www.householdcharge.ie includes further details on the household charge, including frequently asked questions.