Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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137. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is planned to commence charging for water in the last quarter of 2014, with the first bills arriving the following January, at a time when some residents will have had meters installed and some will not; the way it is proposed to provide a fair and balanced charging system in such a scenario where one family will be charged on actual use and another will be charged on the basis of a general estimate; if he has held discussions with Irish Water regarding same and how he intends to address it. [40069/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies .

The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake this metering programme.

The installation programme commenced in August 2013 and will be rolled out nationally as quickly as possible. When fully geared up at least 27,000 boundary boxes will be installed every month by Irish Water sub-contractors. As the metering programme will still be underway when charges are introduced, an appropriate approach to charging customers who are not metered at that stage will be put in place. This will be structured in such a way as to ensure that it represents a reasonable proxy for usage and is fair. The approach to charges for both metered and unmetered properties will be included in a public consultation which will be undertaken by the Commission for Energy Regulation as part of the regulatory process.