TDs sound tenant water fee warning

Tenants who refuse to pay water charges face having their deposits “robbed” by “boot boy landlords”, opposition parties have warned.

Independent TD Richard Boyd Barrett said people who rented from local authorities and the private sec-tor could see outstanding bills and fines stripped from deposits, or in the case of council tenants, rents increased.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly was also urged to clear up confusion of how properties with multiple tenants would be charged fairly.

Mr Boyd Barrett said Irish Water had indicated it had been cleared by the Data Protection Commissioner to seek the names of tenants from private landlords and local authorities to pursue people for the non-payment of water charges.

Anti Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said Irish Water had been briefing deputies that private landlords would be able to collect the money for bills, plus fines, from deposits, while councils would be able to attach them to rents.

“Only 17% of tenants have registered with Irish Water. They have faced massive increases in rents and are often low-paid workers who simply cannot afford to pay water charges,” he said.

“Tenants who already face bullying by landlords, increased rents and very difficult situations are faced with having the money to pay water charges stolen from their deposits.”

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley expressed concern about multiple tenants.

“What happens to the so-called water conservation grant where there are a number of tenants over the course of a year? I know of apartments in which there have been three tenants in the past year. Who will receive the water conservation grant in that case?” he asked.

The environment minister said the details of how tenants would pay were still being worked out and would be brought to the Oireachtas soon.

“There is no intention to be punitive in how Irish Water will collect payments. Let us be straight that the user has to pay, that tenants will have to pay and that the mechanism by which they will pay will be brought before the Houses [of the Oireachtas] following the consultation and having gone through the Government.

“Everything will be done in a fair and balanced way to ensure everybody makes a contribution, which is only appropriate.

“If there are multiple units in a complex or house, they can all apply for the water conservation grant.”

The first water bills are set to go out at the beginning of next month, following another nationwide series of protests against the levy at the end of March.