Should water charges be abolished?
Domestic water charges were introduced in 2015 for Irish homes that are connected to a public water supply or to public wastewater services. Irish Water, the national water utility, administers the water charges. However, the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016 suspended the issuing of domestic water bills for the second quarter of 2016. It also suspended domestic water charges for 9 months, from 1st July 2016 to 31st March 2017, with no charging or billing of domestic customers during that period. This suspension has been extended for a further 4 months by the Water Services Act (Extension of Suspension of Domestic Water Charges Order 2017).
It should remain but never privatised. Also one a town's infrastructure has been upgraded maybe the rate of payment can be reduced. It shouldnt be a cash cow.
A council tax covering waste collection and water rates should be put in place, people can see where the money is going
@9HR7YGD3mos3MO
Water service businesses should be privatized with no price restrictions and only enact antitrust laws to ensure that market forces determine market prices
@9F4C8DS7mos7MO
It should be free up to a certain amount and then pay
@9F2MBPCIndependent7mos7MO
Yes, privatise it as well
@9DZQ79JIndependent Left7mos7MO
Yes, but only for low income areas
@986J8L81yr1Y
charges after a certain amount of water that is necessary
@97Y99HP1yr1Y
If a minimum quality is maintained (which is currently not the case)
@97Y5F3D1yr1Y
Keep charges but funnel all such monies directly into water system improvement
@97TPFBW1yr1Y
Not abolished but it should be clarified where if anywhere they are included in taxes already paid…
@97C78GQ1yr1Y
We should not be getting charged for water consumption, but charged for the maintenance of the machinery and transport vessels (pipes) for the water we use.
@96T6STJ1yr1Y
It should be added to LPT to ensure upkeep of local water services in the area.
@96QHBLJ1yr1Y
Yes, water is a necessity to survive.
No, but only reintroduced when charges are fair (meters installed to all users)
@969JY221yr1Y
Free up to a certain amount, and then charged beyond that.
@95YHYM22yrs2Y
I believe it businesses should be charged for water but not homes
@95X24MS2yrs2Y
Covered in overall tax paid
They should only apply to massively excessive water usage such as companies with pools.
@95KQM6S2yrs2Y
Should be incorporated as a flat per resident tax in domestic cases, paid to the local council without the installation of water meters.
@95JCZ482yrs2Y
For higher income areas only
@94JGQ4H2yrs2Y
the government under enda kenny wasted all that money putting in meters instead of fixing the pipes the system need an over haul but no charges
@93ZLLPN2yrs2Y
Water should be paid by flat tax.
@93S26SS2yrs2Y
No, I have no problem paying for water if the water is of good quality. But I only want to pay for it once.
@93N7ZMV2yrs2Y
They should be changed to allow for a reasonable allowance of free water, charges should only be triggered when excessive water is used
@93GBMJ52yrs2Y
Yes unless you are using an absurd amount of water
@93F6ZLC2yrs2Y
Yes, but only for people below a certain income threshold.
@93B62R22yrs2Y
It's an additional tax. Taxes should already pay for utilities
Utilities ought to be nationalised properties, and financed by levies. Surpluses generated ought to be reinvested in infrastructure or returned to the public finances.
@936CGW62yrs2Y
Depending on the wealth of the Irish economy
@92RB3D32yrs2Y
If the systems in place are radically improved - with allowances to those who cannot afford it, I would say yes
@92PQWQS2yrs2Y
if you earn over a certain amount you should have to pay
@92FCTRC2yrs2Y
Yes. If people do not want water charges, they should also abolish local area water scheme charges, and fund the drilling of water wells, installing and maintenance of wells for individual homes in rural areas
@92BXXWC2yrs2Y
No but their should be a limit to avoid drought
@8ZP8PFFSocial Democrats2yrs2Y
No, because water infrastructure costs money to maintain.
@8ZML6G62yrs2Y
Depends on the use of the water
It should be included in another tax and bring the percentage up slightly
@8YYTV56Social Democrats2yrs2Y
If a charge was introduced in a form of tax then yes only on the grounds the return is very obviously beneficial and abolish the water tax on this basis. If it’s a charge for thr sake of charging people then non
there should be a limit to how much you use you should be charged for that water usage and the money should go to funding fir water resources
@8YMFG472yrs2Y
Yes, but only if the public vote for it
@8Y963PR2yrs2Y
include in general council tax with waivers for those who may need it
No but every household deserves a certain amount of free water to reduce water wastage there should be a cut off point based on household income and ability to pay.
@9FX3HB96mos6MO
If the fee is going towards replacing the old lead pipes and providing safe and clean water to all homes as this tax functions in other countries, I would happily pay that tax.
@9FVS56SIndependent6mos6MO
based on how many people live in the household if they go over their allowance they should be charged.
@9FLJ4BF6mos6MO
yes, but there should be a limit on how much water each household is using
@9FJR8C56mos6MO
No, but it should be removed from motor tax
If infrastructure is improved then charges are okay, not just putting in a charge for the sake of it
Have it be paid by tax. Raise tax if needed to pay for it
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