Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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764. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the estimated revenue of Irish Water in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34495/13]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Irish Water’s operational and capital costs in 2015 will be funded through revenue from the domestic and non-domestic sector, an exchequer subvention and funding from the National Pensions Reserve Fund. It has been decided, following the previous review of the Memorandum of Understanding by the European Commission, the IMF and the ECB, that water charges will commence with effect from Quarter 4 2014. It is expected, therefore, that Irish Water will issue the first bills to customers in Quarter 1 2015.

Work is underway in developing the cost and funding profile for Irish Water. A key input to this is a fact-finding exercise underway in local authorities to provide data on the current cost base. The level of Exchequer subvention support will be determined as part of the budgetary process.

It will be a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation in due course to satisfy itself in relation to the appropriateness of costs to be incurred by Irish Water in discharging its functions as part of the process of setting the tariffs for the domestic and non-domestic sector. It is envisaged that the Commission will engage in public consultation as part of this process. Pending the outcome of this process it is not possible to provide information on the estimated revenue of Irish Water in 2015.