Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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1010. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding water charges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41316/14]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1071. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding Irish Water and the Finance Bill 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42260/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1010 and 1071 together.

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers.

The CER has now issued a determination on the water charges plan submitted to it by Irish Water .

Full details and associated documentation are available on the CER website at .

Water charges will be set until end 2016 in line with the approved water charges plan. The CER will undertake a full price review in relation to the first full 6 year regulatory period for 201 7- 2022 .

The CER will engage in full and detailed public consultation well in advance of that cycle commencing. As it is anticipated that Government subvention to Irish Water will continue beyond 2016, decisions will have to be made in a budgetary context on the level of Government support to Irish Water beyond 2016.

In making its determination on the water charges plan, the CER had to take account of the decisions made by the Government on the funding model for Irish Water and a direction under Section 42 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 issued in July 2014. This policy direction addressed a number of matters relating to domestic water charges including the provision of a free allowance of 30,000 litres of water supplied and waste water treated per annum for a primary residence on a public supply and a free allowance to cover the normal usage of water services by every child in their primary residence based on the same qualifying conditions as the child benefit allowance while customers with specific medical conditions which require increased water consumption will have their charges capped.

In addition to the above, the Government has announcedfurther affordability measures through the Department of Social Protection and income tax system.

The Government are currently considering the overall impact of these arrangements to ensure that households have certainty around a modest affordable charge.