Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1174. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount paid by Irish Water in respect of commercial rates in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45294/19]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Section 12 of the Water Services Act 2014 provided that the property of the public water system was not rateable. Prior to this provision, some water assets were valued for rates purposes. Irish Water was therefore not liable to pay rates during the years referred to in the question.

This exemption was ended by section 61 of the Water Services Act 2017, which was commenced with effect from 18 October 2019, and Irish Water will therefore become rateable with effect from 1 January 2020.

In preparation for the recognition of water assets for rateability purposes, the Valuation Office earlier this year undertook a global valuation of the property of Irish Water in line with Section 53 of the Valuation Act 2001.

In order to ensure that the local authorities were not at a loss as a result of the previous exemption my Department has been recouping local authorities in respect of income lost for commercial water rates. The amounts paid to local authorities in respect of Irish Water's infrastructure is set out in the table below: