Hotel’s annual water charge soars 300%

A CORK hotel which paid €9,000 water charges in 2002 is facing an astronomical bill of €28,000 for last year.

Similarly, a hairdressers which forked out €355 in 2005 is facing a 305% increase to €1,440, while a city-centre publican saw his water charges soar over the same period from €14,768 to €24,000.

These claims come from a study by Cork Business Association (CBA) among some of its 240-plus members, who have warned the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Deirdre Clune, and Cork City Council officials that the hikes are putting serious pressure on small businesses.

The CBA is especially concerned that the price per cubic metre for water charges in Cork is set at €1.93, whereas in Dublin — which has a far larger business population — it is just €1.50, and just 93 cents in Limerick.

Peter O’Donoghue, president of CBA, said that local entrepreneurs recognised that the increases were foisted on the local authority by the Government, in turn acting on a ruling handed down from the European Commission.

He said that business leaders in the city were preparing to lobby the Government to lower the payments, especially as they are causing hardship. “In 2002 one retail unit was paying €18,000 in water charges. That has risen to €40,000 for last year, which is an increase of 120%,” Mr O’Donoghue said.

He added that huge development charges were not being used by Central Government and local authorities to offset the increased hikes.

“We recognise that water charges have to be paid, and we have no problem with that. But we have a problem with these massive increases,” the CBA president added.

Mr O’Donoghue said Cork was paying larger charges because of the new main drainage scheme and sewerage treatment plant at Carrigrennan, Little Island.

But he added that the charges were excessive and that there was no charge to ordinary households who also benefited from such projects.