The Dáil is talking about water again, but outcome still unclear

The Dáil is talking about water charges again on Wednesday afternoon, but a decision on whether they will stay or go is no closer.

The issue of refunds for those who have already paid has also not been resolved as political parties continue to differ on how to approach the charges.

An independent expert commission is examining the future of the water charges. It is due to report back at the end of November and its recommendations will then be forwarded to an Oireachtas committee for consideration.

A Sinn Féin proposal to permanently scrap the levies, which were suspended for a period of nine months as part of Fianna Fáil’s deal with Fine Gael to support a minority Government on certain matters, is to come before the House on Wednesday afternoon.

Fianna Fáil has agreed to vote against the motion despite being in favour of eliminating the charges, while Fine Gael has warned Ireland will be exposed to European Union enforcement proceedings if it abolishes them.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s pre-budget submission on the matter will not include the cost of refunding people who already paid their bills, the party has said.

The party’s spokesman on housing Eoin O’Broin said it would be “prudent” to wait until a decision is taken on when to scrap the levies before including it in their plans.

Mr O’Broin said their pre-budget priorities could not include the full-year cost because the figure was still unknown.

The Dublin Mid-West TD insisted his party was in favour of returning the monies to people who have paid their bills. However he said that could take place over a number of years.

Mr O’Broin said: “We now know that the cost of refunding water charges is probably in the region of €140-€160 million and we think that is affordable.

“But clearly no political party is going to say they will refund it until we know the amount. We now know the amount and we think that is an affordable amount to refund over a number of years.”

Its submission will include the cost of abolishing the charges and will commit to increasing grants to those on group water schemes.

Mr O’Broin said Sinn Féin would examine reclaiming the €100 water conservation grant from people who claimed it from the Department of Social Protection. However he insisted it may be more expensive to administer than the expected return. Sinn Féin’s motion in the Dáil this evening calling on water charges to be scrapped is expected to be defeated. But Mr O’Broin urged Fianna Fáil to support the proposal and stand by their commitment to abolish the charges.

He said if the party does not back Sinn Féin it cannot be trusted on water or anything else.

Mr O’Broin said: “We are wasting a huge amount of money and a significant amount of time on a commission that nobody wants, on a specially convened Dáil committee that nobody needs and a vote in April on this issue when we could vote this week.”