Water Charges
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-17
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue. Most of us know of the Senator's reputation in terms of the work she does with communities and the approach she has to trying to get support from various State agencies to work alongside local fundraising. I know from personal experience just how difficult it can be then to have to provide from a group's own resources for something that should, potentially, be waived. The Minister, Deputy James Browne, cannot be here, unfortunately, and he has asked me to convey his sorrow in that regard.
He has also asked me to set out that the statutory position in relation to water charges for non-domestic customers of Uisce Éireann is set out in the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017, as amended. Irish Water, now Uisce Éireann, became responsible for the provision of public water services with effect from 1 January 2014 and is required under the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 to collect charges from its non-domestic customers in receipt of water services. Water charges in respect of domestic customers are funded from the Exchequer through the budgetary provision in respect of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, and the CRU has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers. The CRU, as the independent economic regulator, determines an economically efficient level of allowed revenue to be recovered by Uisce Éireann annually, from non-domestic customers, over a particular number of years. When approving an allowed revenue for the period, the CRU seeks to drive cost efficiencies and improve services delivered to customers. In advance of considering tariffs, the CRU will engage in a consultation period and seek submissions, a process it completed during summer 2025. The CRU recognises that affordability is a significant issue for non-domestic customers, but it is required to have regard to the need for Uisce Éireann to operate in a commercially viable manner. This is where the issue lies. It with this requirement by law that Uisce Éireann must operate for non-domestic customers in this way, and it is very rigid in that regard. No provision was made in the legislation that would allow for fees to be waived in relation to community facilities or charitable entities.
The only exemption from charges provided for under the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 is in relation to water services provided to fire authorities. All non-domestic customers, including schools, sports clubs, community groups, not-for-profit organisations and charities, were initially transferred to Irish Water under their existing charging agreement with their local authority with no changes, as instructed by the CRU. The CRU has since determined a standardised set of tariffs applied to all non-domestic customers nationwide. Tariffs exist to ensure the recovery of the costs of providing water services, including environmental and resource costs. This is in accordance with Article 9 of the European Union water framework directive and thereby helps towards securing reliable, efficient and sustainable water services.
Uisce Éireann has a strong customer service focus through its water charges plan and customer charter, which outlines the standard of service customers should expect to receive. However, implementation of the water charges plan is a matter in the first instance for Uisce Éireann. Of course, any issues that cannot be resolved by Uisce Éireann to the satisfaction of the customer can be referred under the formal complaints process to CRU.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-17