Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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191. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to parliamentary question No. 186 on 18 April 2013, if he will provide the information sought in the second part of the question, specifically, if the residents of this area who are subjected to using bottled water due to the condition of their water will be exempt from water chargeswhen they are introduced;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19361/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government and the Memorandum of Understanding with the EU, the IMF and the ECB provide for the introduction of domestic water charges. The current position is that domestic water charges will not commence before 2014. The Government will be reviewing the timeline for charges with programme partners at the next review of the Programme of Assistance which commences this week.

The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. The Government has also decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the metering programme.

The Government will assign responsibility for the economic regulation of the water sector, including the setting of charges, to the Commission for Energy Regulation. The primary role of the regulator will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them. The approach to charges for properties connected to public water supplies will be included in a public consultation that will take place as part of the regulatory process.