Irish Water to refund customers by the end of the year
The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy has confirmed today that once water services legislation providing for refunds is enacted, expected in the autumn, refunds of domestic water charges can and will commence. Almost all customers will be refunded the full amount they paid before the end of the year. Some 990,000 customers of Irish Water are due to receive payments under this process. Domestic water services account holders with Irish Water will be automatically refunded by the utility, by way of a cheque. There is no application process involved. Customers only need to contact Irish Water if their details require updating.
Speaking following the Government meeting, Minister Murphy said: “The Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services recommended equal treatment between those who have paid their water charges to date and those who have not. In keeping with the Government’s commitment to implement the committee’s recommendations, the Government will include a provision for refunds in forthcoming legislation, which it is intended to publish shortly. Subject to the passage of this legislation, Irish Water will begin an information campaign to inform customers and the public on how the refunds process will work.”
Minister Murphy added: “Whilst the refunding of Irish Water customers forms part of the process of addressing the issue of domestic water charges, the issue of funding domestic water services must also be addressed. I am confident that the future funding framework for water services, to be implemented once legislation is enacted, will provide funding certainty for Irish Water. Greater water conservation will also be achieved through ongoing improvements by Irish Water in parallel with the curbing of water wastage by customers and greater public awareness.”
The Minister added that equal treatment between Irish Water customers and those on group water schemes will be maintained by retaining the restored pre-2015 subsidy levels for group water schemes.