‘Water charges will be known before May poll’
Households will face water charges from October, with the first bil
Mr Kenny said the Irish Water business model would be published before the May 23 elections and it would take into account how much free water households would be entitled to.
Households will face water charges from October with the first bills to be paid in January 2015. It had been estimated that the average yearly bill would be in the region of €300.
During Leaders’ Questions Mr Kenny rejected claims by the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin that he was “deliberately withholding” the information because he didn’t want people to know how much they’d have to pay before the local elections.
Mr Kenny said the business model hadn’t been published because the Government wanted to get it right and people would view water charges as necessary, fair and affordable.
However the Fianna Fáil leader said Irish Water had spent €180m over a year and a half on an expensive transition team and it “stretches credibility” that the Government could not have come up with the business model earlier.
Meanwhile independent TD Seamus Healy called on Mr Kenny to sack Finance Minister Michael Noonan over the “ripping off” of the taxpayer by Wilbur Ross and his “vulturist capitalist friends.”
Mr Healy said the value of Wilbur Ross’ shares in Bank of Ireland had more than trebled from €1.1bn to €3.8bn “with no risk.”
He called on Mr Kenny to “tell the truth” to the people.
“Will he tell them that while they were being fleeced in budget after budget, owing to the Taoiseach’s ideological commitment to the privatisation of banking, he has cost them €2.7bn which has gone straight into the pockets of Wilbur Ross and his North American friends.”
Mr Kenny replied “No” to the question of sacking Mr Noonan and said “Mr Ross’ investment in Bank of Ireland meant there was less of a capitalisation requirement for the taxpayer. Second, there will be no legacy debt attached.”
