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Seamus Healy TD Screengrab/Oireachtas TV

Taoiseach says the 'average' water charge will be known before the local elections

Enda Kenny said a business and finance model for Irish Water will be produced and debated and will include the level of subvention the government decides on.

TODAY DURING LEADERS’ questions the Taoiseach was asked to clarify when people would know the extent of their water charges.

There was confusion recently due to Taoiseach Enda Kenny promising consumers they would know by May, before the local elections, what they would be paying.

However, yesterday the energy regulator Paul McGowan told the Oireachtas Environment Committee that a public consultation on the structure of water charges and customer protection issues will take place in April following submissions from Irish Water by the end of this month.

Water charges

By June, the energy regulator said he will hold a consultation on water charge levels based on submissions from Irish Water with a decision in July on the codes of practices and finally a decision on the structure of water charges and the level of water charges in August.

Seamus Healy TD for Tipperary South said he wanted a “definitive answer” stating that Irish Water is stating something different than the Taoiseach and asked was it the case that “one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing”.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said, “I stand by what I said,” adding that before the local elections a “financial and business model for Irish Water” will be produced and debated.

He said within that report, the level of subvention and allowance will be set out and the average charge per household will be known.

“I cannot tell you what your charge will be,” he said, adding “I do not know if you wash your car three times a week or not”.

Subvention

“The government said that there would be a free allowance per person and a levy charged after that,” he said. He added the government would be making a decision about the level of subvention available.

Healy told him to stop “ducking and diving” and to explain when people will know what they will be charged.

Kenny said there should be no confusion and that the average charge per household will be known before the local elections.

Read: We’ll find out how much we have to pay for water in August – and some of us could pay less>

Read: Dublin man stops Irish Water workers installing meter at home 12 different times>

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84 Comments
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    Mute Brian Casey
    Favourite Brian Casey
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    Jun 5th 2014, 5:24 PM

    Ah The Ard Ri. Welcome to Waterford !

    102
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    Mute Shane Walsh
    Favourite Shane Walsh
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    Jun 5th 2014, 5:46 PM

    It’s a giant billboard now ain’t it?

    36
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    Mute Rob Cunningham
    Favourite Rob Cunningham
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    Jun 6th 2014, 12:30 AM

    The hotel industry along with other private businesses need to join forces to fight the extortionate rates and leases. Then you will be in a position to survive.

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    Mute Pedro deluvio
    Favourite Pedro deluvio
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:02 PM

    Here’s why hotels in Ireland are doing shite!

    They’re over priced and have little to offer in standards, food or service!

    End of!

    87
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    Mute Mark D
    Favourite Mark D
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:09 PM

    comments aren’t exactly accurate there.. Hotel industry has been growing steadily over the past 18 months and the Irish approach to customer service is famous worldwide.. No?

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    Mute El Pat Grande
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Somewhere in between I think.

    The Malton is one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in, end of.

    Stayed in the Gresham a couple of times and I’m not a fan. For those prices, you’d want better service.

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    Mute Pedro deluvio
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Mark D

    Couldn’t have said it better myself!

    CORRECTAMUNDO!

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    Mute King Olaf
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:49 PM

    I travel between Ireland and elsewhere in Europe fairly often and the one thing tourist mention a lot negatively is specifically the oversold Irish welcome.

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    Mute Edmund Dantes
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:46 PM

    I actually owned a Dublin Hotel for 10 years & I can tell you that there are many reasons why so many are in financial trouble.

    Many Hotels indeed are the creators of their own problems, however, you also have the enormous fall off in tourists from 2008 to 2012, the smoking ban, random breath testing, cheap booze in Supermarkets & Off-Licences, enormous fees for Late Licences, Excise Duty increases, Commercial Rates increases, Insurance Premium increases, high Water Rates, Energy price increases and so on all at the exact same time as Revenues were plumetting like a stone.

    Here’s a quick Economic analogy ! Think of it like a boxer in a ring ; if he gets hit with 1 big punch, he can probably get over it, 10 big punches over a long period of time, maybe he can survive it. BUT, he gets hits with 10 big punches one after another and he get’s knocked out. That’s what happened to the Hotel Industry !

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    Mute Thors Big Hammer
    Favourite Thors Big Hammer
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    Jun 5th 2014, 6:22 PM

    Offer good deals and people will come.

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    Mute Jimmy Coughlan
    Favourite Jimmy Coughlan
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    Jun 5th 2014, 7:32 PM

    The day to day running costs of a hotel or restaurant.!!! Crazy money
    You can only offer a deal when your sure you can get people to spend in the hotel, but with the price of a pint and a glass of wine in dublin, it’s madness.

    34
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    Mute Pedro deluvio
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    Jun 5th 2014, 8:11 PM

    Hi jimmy
    I get what your saying, I’m in the trade 25 years.

    We also travelled for years around the country before we had kids and after.

    It’s negative staff, under kept rooms, bars and amenities, lack of sincere welcomes….and thanks for that matter!

    Usually underage staff that have not been trained to do what they’re doing… Managers included.

    And stiff prices! Our hospitality sector has had little development since before the tiger.
    Our hoteliers need to travel to America to see what can be done with it’s depleting customer base!
    Swiftly.
    There are answers!

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    Mute Patrick O' Donoghue
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    Jun 6th 2014, 1:32 PM

    Service in the industry has fallen well behind no basic training all theory the day of good morning please and thanks and is everything ok are gone

    5
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