The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said that following a constructive online meeting with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), there is a willingness to review water charges for farmers with multiple connections under the Non-Domestic Tariff Framework.

IFA president, Francie Gorman said that the CRU had taken the decision to increase water charges by 9.8% from next Wed, Oct 1, but they signalled a willingness to explore options to reduce the cost burden on farmers, particularly those with multiple connections and low water usage.

Under Band 1, which covers most farmers, the annual standing charge will increase to €91.60 and the volumetric charge to €2.40 per m³.

Standing charges have increased by 52% since the framework was introduced in 2021.

Gorman said: “I made it very clear that farmers are extremely frustrated. The pricing structure is fundamentally unfair, especially for farmers with multiple connections and is inconsistent with a guiding principle of the framework which is equity and no undue discrimination.”

He said that farmers with fragmented holdings and multiple connections, typically extensive farmers with very low water usage, are disproportionately affected.

This is because they must pay a standing charge for each connection, that is needed to protect animal health and safety.

IFA Environment chair John Murphy highlighted that while Uisce Éireann and the CRU are required under EU rules to recover the costs of water services, flexibilities exist within the rules.

Such flexibilities are already being used by other member states to limit disproportionate impacts on farmers, according to the IFA.

“We are simply asking for fairness. Although only a small number of farmers are impacted, many are economically vulnerable, so there is a strong case for creating a specific farmer category.”