IRISH WATER WILL send out more than 1.7 million bills, knowing that hundreds of thousands of those are incorrect.
The company says it will send out the bills to homes where incomplete information was provided. Householders who registered and completed the information will receive their bills in eight week period following the second week of April.
Over 150,000 households will get a bill, despite not having registered because they have their own water services. The company says it has no choice but to operate on incomplete information.
The bills will be capped at €64 for a household of two adults for the quarter, with the €100 water conservation grant being ignored.
Some people on boil notices will receive bills without exemptions on them because they have not provided information. The same will apply to those with septic tanks.
Elizabeth Arnett of Irish Water told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that anyone with outstanding issues relating to the information provided should contact Irish Water as soon as possible.
She said that water meters would be read regardless of their impact on billing. She said that only those who had registered with the utility could avail of the €100 grant.
Bills are not being sent out “willy nilly” she added.
“When it comes from a new database, a new system, we accept that there will be issues with that and it’s part of the teething problems of a new utility.”
Irish Water doesn’t know who the people with their own services are, she said.
Deductions
Arnett said that Irish Water have made no representations to the government asking them to dock wages of those who don’t pay.
She said that she “imagines” Irish Water will be involved in any discussions on legislation that is agreed, but has not lobbied for it.
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