Water supply to be cut if homes fail to pay fees

The Government has confirmed that homeowners will have their water supply cut off if they fail to pay their charges.

The confirmation came as Coalition members launched an attack on Environment Minister Phil Hogan over the handling of the charges’ debacle and questioned his position as minister.

Junior Energy Minister Fergus O’Dowd said people who were employed and could clearly afford to pay would find their water supply stopped.

On TV3’s Midweek, he said: “I would say people who can afford to pay, clearly afford to pay, who are in employment ... if they don’t pay up, you know, they could be in a situation where they could be cut off.”

But confusion over the charges has led to Labour members breaking rank with the Coalition and questioning Mr Hogan.

One Labour TD said last night the Environment Minister should consider his position if his “bungling” manner with the charge continued.

Labour’s Michael McNamara asked whether Mr Hogan had learned anything from handling the household tax when it came to water charges. “If the minister continues to proceed in the same bungling manner in relation to the introduction of water charges, it raises questions about his suitability for office.”

The stinging comments come after other Labour members were critical of Mr Hogan during a party meeting this week and after party senator John Whelan said the minister’s department had made a “bags” of the water charges announcement.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore denied that water services would be privatised under plans for the charge.

The Government set up Irish Water earlier this week to oversee charges when they are introduced in 2014.

Questioned by People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett in the Dáil, Mr Gilmore said: “Water is not being privatised. It’s not going to be privatised and there is no question whatever of this.”

Mr Boyd Barrett claimed that, under article 106 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union, water metering and charges would result in the privatisation. Under EU rules, private companies could take the Government to court if it does not allow open, private competition for water services as it is a “revenue-producing service”.

Mr Gilmore told the TD not to look for “a big bad wolf where none exists”.