Water Fairness Bill to guarantee refund to people who paid for water

The Labour Party today published its Water Charges (Fair Treatment of Customers) Bill 2016.

The purpose of this Bill is to ensure that, in the event of water charges being suspended, there should be fair treatment as between the majority who paid their water charges and those who did not.

This Bill provides for the full refund of monies paid by customers who had complied with the law within 6 months.

Willie Penrose said “The ‘Confidence and Supply Arrangement’ between FF and the FG minority Government provides for the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months from the end of the current billing cycle, to be extended if necessary to facilitate the workings of a special Oireachtas committee.

“The Arrangement does not specify what is to happen about water charges that have already been paid by compliant householders and there is consequent confusion about whether those charges will be retained by Irish Water or returned to customers.

“This situation must be rectified and in a manner that ensures that law abiding citizens, which are in the majority, are treated fairly are thereby refunded their hard earned money. We cannot allow a situation to arise where people who comply with the law of the land, are left feeling they have been mugged.”