Uisce Éireann’s proposals to increase water and wastewater charges from October 1 will be ” another drain on farms and rural businesses” the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development has warned.
Martin Kenny said today (Monday, August 19) that any increase in water charges could force some small farmers to “walk away from the family farm”.
“Let me be clear, these farmers don’t want to leave the sector. However, for them to stay it must be viable.
“The increase in production costs, and price volatility has led many to leave the sector, or for their children to make the decision not to take over the family farm,” Kenny added.
He believes that “another arbitrary increase” on top of already challenging production costs could prove to be the final straw for some.
Water charges
Uisce Éireann wants to introduce new non-domestic water and wastewater tariffs from October 1, that will result in bill increases for all connections.
According to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) – Ireland’s independent energy and water regulator – the majority of customers will “see bill increases of less than €250”.
The CRU has also highlighted that “greater increases will apply for other larger users”.
It has detailed that the following bill increases will take place from October:
- 86.4% (162,905 connections) would see annual bill increases of less than €250;
- 5.4% (10,167 connections) would see annual bill increases of between €250 and €500;
- 7.4% (13,943 connections) would see annual bill increases of between €500 and €5,000;
- 0.9% (1,610 connections) would see annual bill increases of €5,000 or greater.
The CRU has approved the increase to the current charges and said that they will “better reflect the costs that different customer groups impose on the system” and create a more cost reflective system of charges.
However Kenny said increase to existing charges would be yet another “burden” for farmers to shoulder which combined with “the looming fodder crisis, and the recent increase in fuel costs, could be the increase that pushes many farmers and small businesses to breaking point”.
Separately the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has also warned that the introduction of new non-domestic water and wastewater tariffs would “disproportionately impact farms that use low volumes of water and or have multiple connections”.
John Murphy, IFA environment chair, said: “The farms primarily impacted are extensive farming systems and the most financially vulnerable with average incomes of €15,000 per annum”.