Households ‘will not be chased’ for unpaid water bills

Households will not be chased for unpaid water bills or arrears in paying the levy while a nine-month freeze of the charge is underway, housing minister Simon Coveney has said.

Mr Coveney also passed amendments to water charges legislation yesterday which could allow the suspension of charges to go beyond nine months if the Oireachtas desires this.

The minister was speaking at the committee on housing and faced demands to overhaul a Water Bill to suspend charges, which is currently going through the Houses of the Oireachtas.