Labour bill urges refund for those who paid water charge

People who paid their water charges will feel “mugged” if they are not refunded, it was claimed yesterday.

A bill brought forward by the Labour Party proposes they should be refunded.

The new bill, launched yesterday in a bid to ensure “fair treatment of customers”, provides for a full refund of monies paid by the 950,000 households within the past six months.

Called the Water Charges (Fair Treatment of Customers) Bill 2016, the purpose of this Bill is to ensure that, in the event of water charges being suspended, there should be fair treatment as between the majority who paid their water charges and those who did not.

The brainchild of former junior minister and Labour stalwart Willie Penrose, the bill is likely to add pressure on the Government, which has been criticised for agreeing to suspend charges.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Penrose said: “The ‘Confidence and Supply Arrangement’ between FF and the FG minority government provides for the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months from the end of the current billing cycle, to be extended if necessary to facilitate the workings of a special Oireachtas committee.”

The arrangement does not specify what is to happen about water charges that have already been paid and there is confusion about whether those charges will be retained or returned.

“This situation must be rectified and in a manner that ensures that law-abiding citizens, which are in the majority, are treated fairly are thereby refunded their hard earned money,” said Mr Penrose. “We cannot allow a situation to arise where people who comply with the law of the land, are left feeling they have been mugged.”