Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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645. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the special provision that will be made for those persons who suffer from health conditions which require heavy water usage such as Crohn's disease in view of reports that Irish Water is to start monitoring water usage from 2019 and begin billing for excessive usage thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11130/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Statutory provision for the exemption of customers of Irish Water from excessive use charges consequential to the medical need of a person ordinarily resident in the dwelling concerned has already been made under section 53F of the Water Services Act 2007 (as inserted by section 13 of the Water Services Act 2017). Having regard to this section, it is anticipated that the exemption will operate on the basis of an application to Irish Water outlining the increased demand for water services due to the medical need of the person concerned, supported, if required, by medical evidence.

In line with provisions contained within Section 53F(5) of the 2007 Act, regulations setting out the administrative arrangements to be followed by Irish Water and relevant customers where such cases of medical need arise, will be prepared by my Department later this year. It is anticipated that the first charges for excessive usage would not arise until 2019.