Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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439. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration will be given to combining the water charge and the local property tax into one payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2540/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Questions relating to the Local Property Tax are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of domestic water charges based on usage above a free allowance and to establish Irish Water, a new state company to take responsibility for water services provision. 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 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 the metering programme.

The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the 34 water services authorities to Irish Water and provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of these water services. The Act also provides for the establishment of an economic regulator for water services within the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Under the Act, the CER will have the power to set charges for both domestic and non-domestic customers.  The primary role of the CER will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them.

Irish Water will be required to have a range of options in place to assist householders who have difficulties in paying their bills. In addition, an inter-Departmental working group has been established to advise the Government on the appropriate method for addressing water poverty and water affordability issues which may arise with the introduction of domestic water charges. The group is to prepare a report for consideration by the Government to enable decisions on the proposed approach to be taken, in advance of proposed public consultation by the CER on the approach to the design of domestic water tariffs during 2014.