Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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945. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his response to media reports that he is considering introducing charges on domestic households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12327/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decided in 2017 that water charges would not be levied on domestic customers but instead the funding of domestic water services would be met through general taxation and paid through my Departments Vote. This position is unchanged.

A provision for charging for excess use of domestic water services is contained within the Water Services Act 2017, and is known as the Household Water Conservation Charge. This provision reflects the recommendations of the 2017 Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, and the previous Programme for Government commitment to implementing these recommendations. The rationale behind the Household Water Conservation Charge was to encourage water conservation and was not intended as a revenue-raising measure.

There is no further work being done on this issue. This measure is not in the current programme for government and there are no plans to introduce it.