A Clare restaurateur claims businesses are shouldering the burden of funding water infrastructure maintenance in Ireland.
It comes as water charges for hotels, pubs, small and medium enteprises, and schools, are to be hiked by almost 10%.
The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, or CRU, is a public body charged with protecting energy and water customers as well as setting quality of service standards in energy and water.
This week, the body has approved a 9.8% increase in water and wastewater tariff rates for businesses.
This move, it says, will “ensure the recovery of costs of water services” as well as the “reliability, efficiency and sustainability of water services”.
The business community has been quick to express its opposition to the hike, with the Irish Hotels Federation describing the effect it will have as “unsustainable”.
Sean Lally of Hotel Woodstock in Ennis believes it will only serve to line the pockets of Uisce Éireann executives.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland has previously called for any proposed utility increases to undergo an SME test to identify the impact it would have on business, a request that hasn’t been granted on this occasion.
Michael Vaughan of Vaughan’s Lodge in Lahinch claims it’s yet another blow landed to businesses by the Government.
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