Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the knowledge his Department has on the compliance rates for Irish Water bill payment; if his Department is concerned about low compliance rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28996/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The main aspects of the Irish Water funding model are set out in a detailed fact sheet published on my Department's website. In 2015 Irish Water expected billed income from domestic customers to total €271m and from non-domestic customers to total some €229m, giving a total billed income from customers of €500m. The first bills began issuing to Irish Water domestic customers in April this year.

The compliance data released by Ervia earlier this week in relation to the first billing cycle indicate that 46 % of domestic water charges have been collected to date, with €30.5m of the €66.8m regulated domestic income for the first billing cycle received to 10 July 2015.

Irish Water has indicated to me that as a utility sending out bills for the first time, this progress compares well with other utility collection experience and they are satisfied with the rate of collection at this stage. I concur with this view and would like to acknowledge and thank all of those who have paid to date and those who are continuing to engage with Irish Water in relation to payment. The introduction of a new charge takes a period of time to bed down fully, but this level of payment represents an encouraging start, to what is a long-term project. A significant income stream has now been established allowing Irish Water to implement an expanded capital investment programme.