Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total cost of the water conservation payment; the date recipients will receive it; the total amount of money his Department has received from the Exchequer to fund the new payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45393/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process will, in the case of primary dwellings, be eligible for a €100 water conservation grant, payable through the Department of Social Protection. This payment is being made available to support more sustainable use of water, as part of the Government’s objective of achieving greater water conservation among households, and will be available to all households (primary dwellings). It is estimated that the grant will cost €130 million in 2015.

The detailed arrangements, including financial details, for the operation of the scheme are being developed by my Department and the Department of Social Protection, with the expectation that it will be operational by September 2015.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if private group water scheme users will receive a water conservation payment; if individual private well users will receive a water conservation payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45394/14]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the water conservation payment will be issued to all households regardless of whether they use both water in and water out or just one aspect of the water services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45395/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 489 together.

Households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process will, in the case of primary dwellings, be eligible for a €100 water conservation grant, payable through the Department of Social Protection. This payment is being made available to support more sustainable use of water, as part of the Government’s objective of achieving greater water conservation among households, and will be available to all households (primary dwellings) including those in the group water sector and those with private wells or septic tanks.

The detailed arrangements for the operation of the scheme are being developed by my Department and the Department of Social Protection, with the expectation that it will be operational in September 2015.