Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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342. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount charged by Irish Water for connecting a new home to the public water supply; if local authorities have reduced their development charges by the corresponding amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3719/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it in accordance with a water charges plan to be approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Section 22(5) of the Act provides that a water charges plan may provide for charges in respect of the provision of a service connection (within the meaning of the Water Services Act 2007) to, or in respect of, a premises. In its decision on Irish Water’s Water Charges Plan, published in October 2014, the CER stated that, until it made a decision on Irish Water’s new connection charges, Irish Water should continue to apply the rates which were charged by the local authorities at 31 December 2013. The CER published, in its Water Charges Plan Decision Paper of 5 March 2015, the areas that it would be progressing, which includes the development of Connection Charging Policy.

Planning authorities were requested in Circular PS 21/2013 issued by my Department on 30 December 2013 to operate revised procedures in relation to the application of development contribution levies. In respect of planning permissions granted prior to 1 January 2014, planning authorities were advised that the full development contribution charge (where such was attached as a condition of the planning permission), including, where relevant, the portion in respect of water services infrastructure, must be paid to the planning authority in accordance with the terms of the permission.

In respect of planning permissions granted after 1 January 2014, planning authorities were advised that when granting planning permission, they should no longer include a portion in respect of water services infrastructure in any development contribution applied and that such charges would instead be levied by Irish Water. Planning authorities were further advised that new development schemes made after that date should not contain charges in respect of water services infrastructure.

I am not aware of any non-compliance by planning authorities with the terms of Circular PS 21/ 2013. It is intended to issue further guidance on development contributions in due course, to assist local authorities in the implementation of changes to the development contribution regime as provided for in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015.