Council wants Supreme Court ruling on procedure to disconnect water supply

SOUTH Dublin County Council has asked the President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Spain, "to state a case to the Supreme Court" on water charges.

This follows a Circuit Court decision last Friday which upheld an appeal by a resident in the council area against having his water cut off for non payment of domestic water charges.

It was argued that the county council had not followed the correct "water discontinuance procedure". The decision overturned an earlier District Court judgment which found against the resident.

The county council wants the correct domestic water discontinuance procedure clarified by the Supreme Court.

It also pointed out yesterday that while proceedings to collect arrears in water charges had been initiated against 32,000 residents last year, 20,000 had since paid. To date, 60 per cent of the estimated income from the charges for 1996 had been received by the council. It \vas confident the target for the year would be achieved.

It expressed itself "very satisfied" with "the continued improvement" in the collection of the charges and said it would continue to pursue arrears "vigorously".

As well as the proceedings for the discontinuance of water supply, those in arrears were also being pursued by the council through the District Court "as a contract debt".