Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

114. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the tenant purchase scheme will be amended (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2016, which completed second stage debate in the Dáil on 28 June 2016, seeks to implement water elements of the ‘Confidence and Supply Arrangement’ agreed with Fianna Fáil in the context of supporting a minority Government. The Arrangement document also affirms the parties’ position that those who have paid their water bills will be treated no less favourably that those who have not.

The Bill seeks to suspend domestic water charges for a period of 9 months so as to ensure that Irish Water customers are not billed for water services in the period from 1 July 2016 to 31 March 2017 or at any other time in relation to this period. The suspension is to allow for an extensive deliberative process to be carried out. An expert commission will be established shortly to consider the long term funding of public domestic water services and make recommendations thereon. These will be considered by an Oireachtas committee and, ultimately, the Oireachtas will then determine the enduring funding model for public water services into the future.

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 and all dwellings connected to the public water or waste water systems will remain liable for domestic water charges up to the date the suspension of charges takes effect.

Section 3(A)(9) of the Water Services Act 2014 provides that a person who is a tenant of a dwelling let under the Housing Acts 1966 to 2014 and who proposes to purchase the dwelling shall before completion of the sale provide the local authority concerned with a certificate of discharge from Irish Water confirming that any water charge in respect of the dwelling owed to Irish Water has been paid. The sale of the dwelling cannot proceed until a certificate discharge in respect of the dwelling has been received from Irish Water. I have no plans to amend the legislation in this regard.