11/07/2016

Water Charge Payment Rates Drop By 45%

New figures have revealed water charge payment rates dropped by 45% during the last billing quarter.

Overall, Irish Water only managed to collect 27% of the charges it was owed, totalling €18.3 million in revenue for water services used between January and March.

Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Water, Eoin Ó Broin TD, said the figures "show clearly that water charges have no future".

"Irish Water has only managed to collect 27% of the charge due this quarter compared to 49% in the last quarter, 62% in the third quarter, 56% in the second quarter and 45% in the first quarter," he said,

"With the government and Fianna Fáil still only advocating for a temporary suspension of the charges, it appears they are not listening to the people.

"With the focus soon to turn to the work of the so called expert Commission on Water, the government must abandon the delay tactics they cooked up with Fianna Fáil, and legislate directly for the abolition of domestic water charges.

"Everything else is only kicking the can down the road. Water charges will remain the most contentious of political issues until this government and Fianna Fáil accept that last February the majority of people votes to scrap water charges and abolish Irish Water."

(LM)

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