Compensation for contaminated water considered

The regulator is considering the approach to compensating households where the water supply was not fit for human consumption, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly told the Dáil last night.

"It is important to highlight that all of the households on 18 of the 20 public water supplies, including all eight supplies in Roscommon, affected by a boil-water notice that were notified to my department by the EPA would be eligible to receive a 100 per cent discount on the water supply element of their bill from Irish Water," he added. Mr Kelly was responding to the Fianna Fáil Private Members' Bill exempting people with contaminated water from charges.

Earlier, the Taoiseach said definitive water charges are to be issued by the regulator in the next week or so. He told the Dáil that the Government had given directions to the regulator that the average meter charge should be €240 and that children should get water free. “That is at a level of 21,000 litres, based on surveys carried out by Irish Water and validated by the regulator,” he added.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said a family with two adult children would be paying about €590, which was a far cry from €240. Bills would be sent out to about 36,000 people across the country who were in receipt of boil-water notices. About 21,000 of those people lived in Co Roscommon, he added.

“Most objective observers would say that there should be a complete exemption from Irish Water bills for people who cannot drink contaminated water.”

Mr Kenny said this was an issue of great concern to many, with 18,000 people currently in receipt of boil-water notices. Between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of water leaks were underground and that had been allowed to go on for many years. It would be a great consolation to the people of Co Roscommon when the four treatment works were completed, he added.

Mr Martin insisted that the Taoiseach should say if he accepted the principle that one should not have to pay for contaminated water. Mr Kenny said that Mr Martin "let them languish in Roscommon for 40 years with poor water, leaking pipes, boil-water notices, lead pipes and he did nothing about it''.

Independent TD Catherine Murphy said people were concerned about handing over their PPS numbers to a private company. “People cannot understand the requirement to provide such a piece of personal information,’’ she added.

Mr Kenny said that there was an allowance for children and that the PPS number requirement was necessary in order that the allocation to householders could be determined.

Later, Fianna Fáil environment spokesman Barry Cowen introduced a Bill in Private Members' time that would exempt households with contaminated water from paying charges. Mr Cowen said that the Water Services (Exempt Charges) Bill 2014 was being introduced after a long, sorry saga associated with the Government's attempts to charge for water.

The House will vote on the Bill tonight.