Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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364. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason apartment owners who already pay management fees and property tax are liable for water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26680/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services ( No. 2) Act provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act defines the customer as the occupier of the premises in respect of which the water services are provided.

The water charges which Irish Water will collect from its customers are not related in any way to management fees or property tax. The charges to be levied by Irish Water must be specified in a water charges plan which is subject to the approval of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). The CER has announced that it will be undertaking a public consultation on the water charges plan to be submitted to it by Irish Water in June 2014 and the CER will be announcing the approved charges in August 2014. Irish Water will begin charging households for water from 1 October 2014, with the first bills to be issued from January 2015.