Donegal County Council is pursuing a €507,000 sum from Irish Water, it has been revealed.
The outstanding payment arose from Central Management Charges which are being disputed between the council and the water company.
The council has invoiced Irish Water for Central Management Charges totalling €507,000 in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The payments are outstanding since 2020, when an internal audit report was issued relating to the service level agreement between the Council and Irish Water.
In 2021, the council issued a response to the audit.
“The Council has requested the release of sums withheld and is working with Irish Water towards a conclusion in this matter,” said Chief Executive John McLaughlin in the Local Government Audit Report for 2022.
The issue was queried by Sinn Fein’s Marie Therese Gallagher today.
“The issue I have with this, is that if people aren’t paying their housing rent or their rates, we will be fairly swift to get that money in,” Cllr Gallagher said.
Speaking to elected councillors, Mr John McLaughlin said “we are pushing back hard because we believe that we are fully entitled to it.”
He said there is a transition coming for Irish Water in September, which will be the best chance to get the issue resolved.
“We are not letting it go, we don’t just write off things easily,” he said.
Donegal County Council received €18.2million of income from Irish Water in 2022.
