Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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553. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if it is the intention of Irish Water, as reported recently, to charge apartment dwellers on an average use basis rather than a metered basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4137/14]

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 Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water will be responsible for the collection of water charges from households and also provides that responsibility for the economic regulation of the water sector, including the setting of charges, be assigned 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. 

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 un-metered properties will be included in a proposed public consultation taking place this year as part of the regulatory process. 

A study commissioned by Irish Water on possible approaches to metering properties that are not part of the current metering programme, including apartments and properties with shared service connections, has been recently submitted to my Department for consideration. Any proposals for the metering of such properties would need to be considered by the Government in the first instance.