Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, sets out the process by which local authorities can take in charge housing estates. When taking an estate in charge under the terms of this provision, a planning authority must take in charge , among other things, any, sewers, water mains or drains within the attendant grounds of the development. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the provision of public water services from local authorities to Irish Water. In addition, it provides a mechanism whereby water services infrastructure taken in charge by local authorities pursuant to section 180 of the Act of 2000 will be subsequently transferred by Ministerial Order to Irish Water.

In circumstances w here a housing estate, and its associated water services infrastructure, has not yet been taken in charge by the relevant local authority, and therefore not yet transferred to Irish Water by way of Ministerial Order, the responsibility for the provision of water services remains with the developer of the estate.

My Department, following consultation with Irish Water and local authorities, intends to issue a guidance circular to local authorities this week clarifying the position as regards local authority procedures concerning taking in charge of existing residential estates that are connected to public water supply and/or wastewater collection systems followed by the transfer or otherwise, of water services infrastructural assets in agreement with Irish Water. It is expected that this advice will facilitate and expedite the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities and the transfer of the water services infrastructure and, consequently, the responsibility for the provision of water services to Irish Water.

This matter will be kept under review by my Department and further guidance will be issued if required.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1027. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to propose amending legislation to clarify that trustees of group water schemes, where such groups have been purchasing water from public supplies, will not be liable to Irish Water for debts incurred by members of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41566/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge for water services. The Act also provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the economic regulation of Irish water and the charges to be levied by Irish Water will be subject to the approval of the CER. Following a public consultation process t he CER announced its decision on water charges on 30 September. Water charges commenced on 1 October 2014 and the first bills will be issued by Irish Water to households from January 2015.

Group Water Schemes that are supplied by way of a connection to the public water supply network will have previously been non-domestic customers of the relevant local authority and will therefore now become customers of Irish Water. Under the arrangements determined by the CER, the existing charges for non-domestic customers will remain in place pending a further consultation. My Department understands that there may be some group schemes where special local arrangements may have applied; the future arrangements in relation to these schemes will be resolved as soon as possible.

It is important to emphasise that the households on group schemes are customers of the scheme and not of Irish Water. My Department has no proposals to change this or to change any existing arrangements relating to the trustees of such schemes.

Group Water Schemes that have their own water sources will not be customers of Irish Water and will continue to operate as before.