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Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will announce the Budget on Tuesday

Water refunds, Christmas welfare bonus in Budget plans

The White Paper on estimated Receipts and Expenditure for 2018 has been published, and it shows the Government is planning to refund Irish Water charges and pay a Christmas Social Welfare bonus.

Budget 2018 • 07 Oct 17

The refunds will be paid by cheque 'to avoid other more problematic anomalies'

€5.87m admin costs expected for water charge refunds

The administrative costs associated with refunding water charges are expected to be €5.87 million, according to figures released to RTÉ under the Freedom of Information Act.

Irish Water • 04 Oct 17

Around 80,000 homes and businesses went without water for almost a week last July

Irish Water admits slow response to Drogheda water cut

Irish Water has acknowledged it should have acted sooner in its response to the Drogheda water crisis, which left more than 80,000 homes and businesses without water for almost a week in July.

Ireland • 29 Sep 17

Four thousand fewer people were on boil water notices at the end of 2016 compared to the previous year

EPA says 10% of water supplies at risk of contamination

Almost 10% of Ireland's public water supplies are at risk of contamination, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's Drinking Water Report.

Ireland • 12 Sep 17

Customers will be refunded automatically by way of cheques

Vast majority set to get water charge refund this year

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy has said that if legislation is enacted by the middle of October, householders who paid their water charges should get a refund by the end of the year.

Ireland • 06 Sep 17

The transaction was provided for in Irish Water's business plan endorsed by the Government in 2015

Payment to Irish Water 'not connected to charge freeze'

The Government has said its payment of €270m to Irish Water is in line with the company's capital funding plan.

Ireland • 18 Aug 17

Irish Water's latest plan suggests that €2bn is needed on water schemes

Irish Water says €2bn investment needed on schemes

Irish Water has said more than €2 billion will need to be invested on water and wastewater projects over the next four years.

Irish Water • 02 Aug 17

Major repair work was carried out yesterday

Irish Water says no rebate for businesses hit by outage

Irish Water has said there will be no rebate for businesses affected by the loss of their water supply in the northeast.

Ireland • 27 Jul 17

Irish Water has said it could be the weekend before supplies return to normal

Meath water treatment plant resumes production

The first stage of the repair on the burst water main supplying the Staleen Water Treatment Plant in Co Meath has been complete and the plant is back in production.

Ireland • 26 Jul 17

A programme of water rationing is in place in parts of Louth and east Meath

Minister criticised for lack of updates on water crisis

Two members of the public confronted Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy about the ongoing water outages in Drogheda after he arrived to brief the media about the situation.

Ireland • 26 Jul 17

Queues at Stameen in Drogheda where one of the water tankers has been deployed

Northeast facing into fourth day without water supply

Thousands of homes and businesses across counties Louth and Meath face a fourth day without water, as efforts to repair a burst water main continue.

Irish Water • 25 Jul 17

Close to one million customers of Irish Water paid, or partially paid, water charges

Varadkar says water charge refunds discussed at Cabinet

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that the issue of refunding domestic water charges was discussed by Cabinet.

Politics • 17 Jul 17

The shutdown will take place from 11pm tonight until 7am tomorrow

Water outage to hit Cork city centre

Up to 35,000 people will be affected by a planned shutdown of the water supply to homes and businesses in Cork city centre tonight.

Cork • 27 Jun 17

Irish Water parent company Ervia names Mike Quinn as its new CEO

Quinn named as new CEO at Ervia

Ervia has appointed Mike Quinn as its new chief executive following a competitive recruitment process.

Business • 02 Jun 17

Simon Coveney said people are going to have to be patient

Coveney seeks legal clarity on water referendum bill

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government Simon Coveney has said he will not be "bounced into" a holding a referendum on public water ownership.

Irish Water • 04 May 17

Refunds will be issued to those who paid their water charges

Dáil vote brings water charges to an end

The Dáil has voted to accept the report of the Committee on the Future Funding of Water Services.

Politics • 13 Apr 17

The treatment plant began operations today and is part of the €117m Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage project

Waste water plant opens at Ringaskiddy

Half of the raw sewage previously discharged into Cork Harbour is now being treated and returned to sea at the newly operational Shanbally Waste Water Treatment Plant at Ringaskiddy.

Munster • 10 Apr 17

Thomas Byrne would not set a deadline for legislation to abolish water charges

FF warns it may not support election of new FG leader

Fianna Fáil has warned that there will be a problem if the Government does not introduce legislation to abolish water charges.

Water charges • 10 Apr 17

The Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services extended its work for a month on 7 March to allow it get legal advice

Draft water report recommends prosecution for wastage

A draft report circulated to the committee looking at the funding of water recommends that existing legislation be changed so that those who wilfully waste water or permit wastage can be prosecuted.

Politics • 28 Mar 17

Irish Water says the extension will enhance supply to over 5,000 customers

Lough Mask water supply scheme to be extended

Irish Water has announced plans to extend the reach of the Lough Mask supply scheme in Co Mayo to parts of Galway and Roscommon.

News • 27 Feb 17

Irish Water distributes 1.7 billion litres every day

5% of homes use a third of water supplies - Grant

The managing director of Irish Water has told an Oireachtas Committee that 28,000 water leaks have been repaired following the installation of over 800,000 domestic water meters.

News • 14 Feb 17

Irish Water has installed 884,000 meters so far

Regulator says water metering can be 'parked'

The Commissioner for Energy Regulation has said Irish Water's metering programme can be parked while the utility focused on other capital priorities.

News • 12 Jan 17

There have been growing calls that those who have paid water charges should be refunded

Varying views within FG over water charge refund

There have been varying views within Fine Gael and the Government on whether those who have paid their water charges should be refunded.

News • 01 Dec 16

Simon Coveney said statements that Irish Water was designed for privatisation were not accurate

Government will not oppose water ownership bill

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney has said the Government will not oppose a bill to keep Irish Water in public ownership, but said the proposed legislation would need further scrutiny.

News • 09 Nov 16

The proposed pipeline is the first major new water upgrade for the eastern and midlands region in over 60 years

Preferred route for Shannon pipeline published

Irish Water has published details of its preferred route for a new 170km pipeline to take water from the River Shannon to supply the eastern and midlands regions.

An Bord Pleanála • 08 Nov 16