Farms can’t take further water costs, IFA warns

Farm businesses must not be burdened with additional water costs following the Government’s recent decision to reduce charges to households, the Irish Farmers’ Association has warned.

IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Committee chairman, Harold Kingston, said farm families have, for almost a decade, paid for water supplied by local authorities.

These charges have continued to increase over the years.

“It would be completely unacceptable if farmers and other businesses, that already pay for water, are called on again to subsidise the cost of water to private houses — given the recent decision to further reduce these charges,” he said.

Mr Kingston said the IFA will be again requesting that the practice of double billing for water be brought to an end.

“It is farcical that a farm family will receive a bill for the water used in the home from Irish Water, and then a separate bill from the local authority for water used on the farm,” Mr Kingston added.

“After all, it is all coming in the one pipe,” the IFA official added.