Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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499. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the concessions that are being made for pensioners, especially those living alone, whose sole income is a State pension, regarding payment of their Irish Water bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19678/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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A new water charging regime was announced by the Government on 19 November 2014. The capped annual charges will be €160 for single adult households and €260 for all other households until the end of 2018. All households will know what their capped bills will be until the end of 2018, which is particularly important for larger households or those with high usage due to medical needs. In addition, a water conservation grant of €100 per year will be available to qualifying households. The Department of Social Protection will administer the grant on behalf of my Department, which will be available to households (principal private dwellings) that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process.

The water conservation grant replaces the tax rebate and social protection measures previously announced and is a more straightforward means of addressing water issues for all households on equal terms and will reduce households’ outlay on water services both now and in the future.

The charges structure was revised with a view to making it simpler and fairer, providing more clarity and certainty to households.  The overall cost for those who register with Irish Water, net of the €100 water conservation grant, is either €1.15 a week for single adult households or €3 a week for all others. Water supply will not be reduced under any circumstance.

When it comes to payment, a range of easy pay options will be in place, including direct debits, electronic funds transfer, payment by cash at any retail outlet with a paypoint or payzone sign or a post office where a bill can be paid in full or part payments of a minimum of €5 can be made. Irish Water also intends participating in the Household Budget scheme. This facility, operated by An Post on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, provides customers with a facility to have their household utility bills and social housing rents deducted directly from their weekly social welfare payment.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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500. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if householders, whose water is undrinkable due to lead pipes running from the water mains to their taps, are exempt from paying a water supply charge to Irish Water, and only have to pay for wastewater; if this should amount to a 50% reduction in their bill; if they are required to provide Irish Water with test results, specific to their home, in order to qualify for this reduced charge, or if it suffices that Irish Water is aware of a general problem with lead pipes in their estate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19679/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied complies with the chemical and microbiological parameters set out in the Regulations. Details of monitoring requirements along with the procedures to be followed and the roles of water suppliers, the EPA and the HSE, where there is non-compliance with the parametric values set out in the Schedules to the Regulations, are clearly laid out in the Regulations. The Water Services Act 2007 provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the internal water distribution system. Responsibility for replacing lead pipes from the main stopcock to the house and within the house therefore rests with the homeowner. In a joint position paper on lead published by the EPA and HSE in 2013, it is recommended that all lead pipes and plumbing in public and private ownership should be replaced over time. The position paper contains advice for property owners and can be downloaded from: .

The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from each customer 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 Water Charges Policy Direction issued to the CER in July 2014 referred to a number of matters relating to domestic water charges, including where the quality of water services provided by Irish Water to its customers is impaired or where services are reduced or restricted. Where customers are subject to a drinking water restriction notice, affected customers will receive a 100% discount to the water supply portion of their bill for the duration of the restriction.

My Department is developing a national strategy for lead, in consultation with the Department of Health, Irish Water, the HSE and the EPA, in order to map the scale of the problem and identify measures to mitigate any risks to human health posed by lead in drinking water. However, there are no plans to exempt householders with lead pipes from water charges.