Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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750. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that 40% of schools have no access to free drinking water for students; and his plans to address this matter. [23726/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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From 2001, national water pricing policy required local authorities to recover the costs of providing water services from all non-domestic users of these services, including schools. This policy provided for charges based on actual metered consumption and is consistent with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the local authorities to Irish Water and, with effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the provision of public water services, including responsibility for the charging of non-domestic customers. The Act provides that Irish Water shall charge each customer for the provision of 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.

It should be noted that the existing arrangements for all non-domestic customers are remaining in place with no changes for the time being. On this basis, the local authorities will continue to bill for non-domestic water services as agents of Irish Water.

The CER has outlined, in its Water Charges Plan Decision Paper of 5 March 2015, the areas that it will be progressing in 2015, which includes the development of the work programme for an enduring Non-Domestic Tariff Framework. Later this year, the CER will publish a detailed work plan in relation to non-domestic charges and will consult widely as part of that plan.