The Government has today announced that all water charges will be capped until 2018 in a last-ditch effort to stifle opposition to the introduction of Irish Water.
As expected, Minister for Environment Alan Kelly confirmed today that charges will be capped at €160 for a single adult household and €260 for all other households until 2018.
These fees will be subsidised with a water conservation grant of €100 per year for eligible households, leaving the net cost per year at €60 for a single adult and €160 for other households. The grant will also be paid to those on group water schemes who are not customers of Irish Water.
Irish Water will begin to charge for supplies from January, with the first bills arriving in April.
The announcement comes in the wake of escalating protests across the country, with Government Ministers including Joan Burton and Taoiseach Enda Kenny among those targeted in recent days.
Under the changes, water will be charged at a reduced rate of €3.70 per 1,000 litres for metered bills and a children's allowance of 21,000 per year will apply to all residents under 18 years of age.
Dwellings that are not occupied throughout the year will be charged a flat rate of €125 per year and it has also been confirmed that Irish Water will no longer require PPS numbers from householders to complete registration, with information already supplied to be deleted from the system.
It has also be announced that the entire board of Irish Water will be replaced.
However, Mr Kelly's assertion that legislation would be introduced by to allow landlords to deduct water charges from the deposits of tenants has been widely and described as "disgraceful".
Initial reactions to the announcement online would suggest that the Government's concessions will not go far enough to appease those who have objected to the introduction of charges.
