Application deadline for water conservation grant has been extended
The deadline has been extended for applications for the water conservation grant for a further two weeks.
Households must now apply by Thursday October 22nd.
The Environment Minister and Tánaiste has said the extension is down to the high volume of calls and applications today and issues that arose concerning the postal delays earlier this week.
By Wednesday night around 750,000 people had applied, with more than 50,000 submissions lodged in the last two days alone.
The Department of Social Protection expects that all grant payments will be made by the end of October.
To apply for the grant, homeowners need their:
- Water Point Reference Number (WPRN), which is printed at the top of their Irish Water bill;
- Irish Water account number, also at the top of the bill;
- Transaction Identification number (TIN), printed on a letter from the Department of Social Protection inviting applications for the grant. If you have not received this letter, call the department's Water Conservation Grant support team on 0761 - 087 890 / 1890 100 043;
- PPS number;
- Bank account details (IBAN and BIC) for the grant to be paid into.
Householders do not need to have paid a bill to be eligible. Further information is available at watergrant.ie.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, who is among the country's most vocal opponents of water charges, said the grant would not change anyone's mind on paying for water.
"This is a desperate attempt to stem the tide of protest and to get water charges in," he said.
"The vast majority of people are not fooled by this and they know that if we don’t defeat water charges now, the charges will go up, the conservation grant will go and Irish Water will be privatised."
