Two state groups to fix water allowance

The exact allowance cut-off point for water charges when they potentially kick in next year is set to be decided by two more independent State groups, effectively pushing political fallout further from Government TDs.

An independent group will recommend the move in a report published tomorrow, in addition to a referendum to ensure the public ownership of water services, and “equity” for rural households on pre-charges water schemes.

The Government earlier this year set up the independent commission on water charges to examine whether charges should return or be scrapped entirely. The review will be published tomorrow before being sent to a new 20-person cross-party Oireachtas committee which will be given until March to examine the plans, which will then face Dáil and Seanad votes.

Details of the report’s recommendations were last night revealed by RTÉ.

While it has been claimed the moves will ensure that the vast majority of people will not see a return of the controversial fees because of State-funded allowances, the report will crucially fail to explain at what point these allowances will run out.

As reported by the Irish Examiner on Monday, the commission’s report is expected to say that charges — which were frozen last spring during Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s Government formation talks — should not return for the majority of households.

Instead, their water services will be funded by a new tax-funded system, which will see allowances significantly higher than those put in place in the original water charges system.

Concessions will also be put in place for the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who are unemployed.

However, for an as-yet- unexplained number of people who use more than the allowance provided, charges will resume.

The level of charges these people will face, the exact cut-off point of the allowances, and the estimated number of people due to be affected by the move have not been outlined in the commission report.

Instead, it is due to recommend that the allowance cut-off point be decided by two more groups — the Energy Regulator and a public water forum — while the Oireachtas committee examines the findings between now and March.

In addition, the commission’s report is expected to say that a referendum ensuring the public ownership of water services should be considered, and it has called for “equity” for urban households in the new system and rural households on pre-existing water schemes.

A spokesperson for Environment Minister Simon Coveney declined to comment on the report yesterday, other than to confirm it will be published tomorrow, while his Fianna Fáil counterpart Barry Cowen said his party wants to give the Oireachtas committee space to conduct its work.

However, Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin and AAA TD Paul Murphy both criticised the report’s details, saying they will only support a complete removal of fees and that a referendum should not be used as cover for the return of any charges.