Taoiseach Enda Kenny insisted in the Dáil yesterday that the Government had made no decision on introducing a basic water charge for householders.
Mr Kenny also said no decision had been made on the level of water charges, or the subvention to be paid by the Government to Irish Water. He also ruled out the privatisation of the service.
He said the Government would sign off on the issue shortly, and householders would know the details of the charges before the local elections on May 23rd.
He had seen a media report regarding a standing charge for water. “My understanding is that arose from a draft memo submitted by Irish Water.’’
The Taoiseach said it was not a case of taking electoral considerations into account, adding it was important that the Government’s decision was equitable and workable.
"It must take account of the various strands and categories of people and the circumstances they find themselves in. There is no basis for suggesting that a standing charge, of the order of what I saw printed, will apply here.''
Disquiet and anxiety
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Irish Water had confirmed that it had sought the introduction of a €100 standing charge for all households. "This, indeed, has shocked many people, and has caused a considerable degree of disquiet and anxiety amongst the general public.''
Mr Martin said many people saw the standing charge proposal as a blatant breaking of the promise on a free allowance. A standing charge ran contrary to the whole idea of the regime being about the conservation of water, as opposed to just another method of collecting a tax and collecting money.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the company was seeking to impose a standing charge of one-third of the water bill, adding that it was very high when compared to other countries.
Revenue-raising exercise
He said it was about the introduction of another tax, and the introduction of water charges was entirely a revenue-raising exercise and nothing else.
“We have seen estimates suggesting that the average water bill could be as high as €300. That would be on top of all the other bills people have to face.’’
He said Mr Kenny knew that many people were struggling and angry that Irish Water gave €86 million of taxpayers’ money to consultants.
Stressing again that there had been no Government decision on the matter, Mr Kenny said various matters, such as the weight of metering, had to be considered. There was a need for a fair assessment of the water usage of houses that were not metered.
“Consideration must be given to categories of personnel in particular circumstances, such as people with particular medical conditions who need a certain kind of attention.’’
Mr Kenny said the Government needed to have at its disposal €600-€700 million a year for investment in proper infrastructure, and Irish Water would be able to borrow for that purpose.
