Chambers of Commerce call for domestic water charges

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) today called on the Government to allow local authorities introduce water charges for all sectors - including domestic users.

CCI chief executive John Dunne said the Government was failing to meet its obligations to fund the domestic element of the cost of water services.

"The Government is obliged to fund water services used by domestic customers," he said. "Yet, in 2003 it failed to meet the full cost. That year, the operational charge for water for non-domestic users increased by approximately 16%.

"If the cost of water for business increased that year, it follows that the cost of water services for domestic users would also have increased and therefore we should have seen an increase in the Government’s allocation to the Local Government Fund to cover that cost," he explained.

Instead, the allocation to the Local Government Fund that year in real terms dropped by more than 10%, said Mr Dunne.

"This has to stop. The Government cannot continue to expect business to contribute more than its fair share for local authority services and if it is not prepared to fulfill its self-imposed obligations, it must allow local authorities to start charging domestic customers for the water they use," he said.