Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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709. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way in which water meters will be managed and operated in private estates, whose maintenance are under the direction of a management company and not a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13762/14]

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 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to under take the metering programme. Local authorities are in the final stages of a pre-installation survey of households connected to public water supplies. The survey is providing information to Irish Water on the properties that can be metered. The intention is that a meter will be installed in any household connected to a public water supply where it is technically feasible to do so. In common with meters for other utility services, the water meters will remain the property of Irish Water which will also be responsible for the maintenance of the meters.