Q&A: Frozen water charges, outstanding bills, and the question of wastage

A Q&A on the expert commission looking at the future funding of water

What difference will this new report on water services and water charges make to what households pay or not?

The expert commission’s recommendations, including that normal household usage is paid for by the State, will now be considered by a special Oireachtas Committee. They will have their own deliberations and ultimately make final recommendations to the Dáil by next March, at which point the future of water charges will be voted on. Charges have been frozen until then through legislation as well as under the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail government support deal.