The Restaurants Association of Ireland has revealed that restaurants in Ireland may start charging a €1 tariff on water due to the rise in commercial water charges.
Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the RAI told the Sunday Independent that Irish Water have "flagged" the association for expected rises in water rates in 2016, and businesses will seek ways to recoup the cost.
"Some will say they'll provide filtered water at a charge of €1 for a bottle, and that's it - customers can have as much water as they want throughout the night," said Cummins, adding that restaurants already pay considerable charges for water.
He added that not all restaurants will opt to apply the tariff but some may consider passing on the extra charges to customers. "Some people think it's carte blanche but we're not a public service - it's a business and people need to respect that," he said.
Restaurants currently pay a fees for water based on how much they consume, which Cummins said are already steep. "We're not like the households where you pay a flat fee, you pay per consumption so the more you consume the more you pay. We have to educate consumers."
