Water bill debt must be paid: Simon Coveney

Households should be pursued for unpaid water bills, Housing Minister Simon Coveney has said as an expert report cleared the way for most homes in the country to avoid future charges.

The recommendations by the expert commission on water that most homes do not pay for it puts an end to a charging regime for the moment, but non-payers may still be chased for bills.

It has also emerged that at the last minute in the commission’s work the EU warned about Ireland scrapping water charges altogether. A system of allowances and wastage charges will instead get around the EU’s environment rules.