No punishment for Irish Water bill non-payers under new Government deal

People refusing to pay their water bills are set to escape any legal punishment after Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil said they will not introduce new laws to prosecute people for debts under €500.

Both parties last night confirmed they have no plans for new legislation to tackle non-payers, as it emerged the Labour Party is drafting legislation for a referendum this summer guaranteeing the future public ownership of water services.

Under the rules of the Civil Debt Procedures Act, households can only be legally forced to repay debts once the money involved exceeds €500.