Pressure escalated to alter water charges that impact farmers

PRESSURE is being maintained at ministerial level to have a new water charges system changed.

Each connection is now treated as a 'customer', meaning multiple meter standing charges for farmers with fragmented holdings, and councillors in Mayo want to see this addressed.

The issue has been raised monthly by Councillor Damien Ryan who, with other elected members, held a meeting with Irish Water before the March meeting of Mayo County Council.

The situation is that the buck firmly rests with the regulator and the government, he said, and they have the opportunity to sort this inequality.

If it isn't resolved, it was going to be a huge problem for the county, with multiple meters.

A connection is being treated the same as a customer, he explained, so if you have 10 connections you are like 10 customers and you are incurring multiple standing charges.

"That discrepancy has to be sorted," he stated.

Councillor Ryan called on the national representatives to effect change at national level and contact the regulator to sort this.

The council should write to the regulator too, outlining the inequality. And he asked a representative of the Minister for Local Government attend the next meeting of the council. If that wasn't possible, then a delegation from the council to go to the department should be facilitated.

Councillor Sean Carey said the situation was causing anxiety and it was a serious issue on farms that are fragmented, with numerous meters.

Councillor John O'Hara warned that it was going to come to a time where people will not be able to pay for their water and they needed to meet with the regulator.