Irish Legislation

Number 7 of 2016

WATER SERVICES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2016

CONTENTS

Section

1. Definition

2. Amendment of Water Services Act 2014

3. Short title

Act Referred to

Water Services Act 2014 (No. 44)

Number 7 of 2016

WATER SERVICES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2016

An Act to suspend charging for domestic water services; for those purposes to amend the Water Services Act 2014 ; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

[26 th July, 2016]

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:

Definition

1. In this Act “Act of 2014” means the Water Services Act 2014 .

Amendment of Water Services Act 2014

2. The Act of 2014 is amended—

(a) in section 3, by—

(i) the insertion, in subsection (1), of “and subject to subsection (1A)” after “Notwithstanding section 21(1) of the No. 2 Act of 2013”,

(ii) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(1A) (a) Notwithstanding section 21(1) of the No. 2 Act of 2013, Irish Water shall not charge for water services provided to a dwelling in respect of the period (in this subsection referred to as the ‘first-mentioned period’) commencing on 1 July 2016 and ending on 31 March 2017.

(b) Where the Minister is informed by the committee that it will not complete its work on or before 31 March 2017 or is otherwise satisfied that the committee will not complete its work on or before that date, he or she may, on or before that date, make an order extending the first-mentioned period for such further period, commencing on the day immediately following the expiration of the first-mentioned period, as does not exceed the period that he or she believes the committee will require to complete its work and is specified in the order.

(c) For the purpose of enabling the Government to consider the recommendations of the committee, the Minister may—

(i) make an order extending the first-mentioned period for such further period, commencing on the day immediately following the expiration of the first-mentioned period, as he or she considers appropriate and is specified in the order, or

(ii) where an order was made under paragraph (b), make an order extending the first-mentioned period as extended under paragraph (b) for such further period, commencing on the day immediately following the expiration of the period specified in the order under paragraph (b), as he or she considers appropriate and is specified in the order.

(d) Notwithstanding section 21(1) of the No. 2 Act of 2013, Irish Water shall not charge for water services provided to a dwelling in respect of any period specified in an order under paragraph (b) or (c).

(e) Irish Water shall not—

(i) before 31 March 2017,

(ii) (in circumstances where an order is made under paragraph (b)) before the expiration of the period specified in that order,

(iii) (in circumstances where an order is made under paragraph (c)) before the expiration of the period specified in that order, or

(iv) (in circumstances where an order is made under paragraph (b) and an order is made under paragraph (c)) before the expiration of the period specified in the order under paragraph (c),

issue a bill for water services provided to a dwelling in respect of the period 1 April 2016 to 30 June 2016.

(f) In this subsection—

‘charge for water services’ does not include a charge to which paragraph (b) of subsection (16) relates;

‘committee’ means a committee established before, on or after the passing of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016 by either House of the Oireachtas or by both Houses of the Oireachtas to examine, and make recommendations in relation to, the matter of funding of water services provided to dwellings;

‘first-mentioned period’ has the meaning assigned to it by paragraph (a).”,

and

(iii) the substitution, in subsection (18), of “5 March 2015” for “30 September 2014”,

and

(b) in section 4, by the insertion of the following subsection:

“(5) Neither the first-mentioned period within the meaning of subsection (1A) of section 3 nor any period specified by order under that subsection shall be reckonable for the purpose of calculating the period of 12 months referred to in subsection (1).”.

Short title

3. This Act may be cited as the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016.