Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

610. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if categories of properties (details supplied) are liable for commercial water charges. [46592/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has been assigned statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its non-domestic customers in receipt of water services provided by it in accordance with a Water Charges Plan, to be approved by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Water customers are broadly classified as domestic and non-domestic customers. Water charges no longer apply to domestic customers of Irish Water with the exception of legal provision for charges in respect of excessive use. In relation to non-domestic customers, the Water Charges Plan currently in operation states that a non-domestic premises, “means a Premises in which Water Services are used for Non-Domestic Purposes, defined in the Water Services Act 2007 as (a) agriculture or horticulture, (b) any trade, industry or business, (c) any purpose incidental to a household or private garden if the water is drawn otherwise than from a tap inside the household or if a hosepipe or other similar apparatus is used, (d) central heating other than the central heating of a household; (e) apparatus depending while in use upon a supply of continuously running water, not being an apparatus used solely for heating water.” In accordance with the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017, therefore, all water services supplied by Irish Water to non-domestic premises used for the provision of short term accommodation, such as B&Bs, hotels and self-catering accommodation, may be subject to a charge in line with the current Water Charges Plan applied by Irish Water.