People who paid their domestic water bills will be refunded, once legislation is enacted to provide for the refunds.

The Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government Eoghan Murphy has confirmed this afternoon that almost all customers will be refunded the full amount they paid before the end of this year.

Some 990,000 customers of Irish Water will receive payments under the process, and will receive an automatic refund – with no application process.

The Water Conservation Grant will not be deducted from people’s refunds.

Speaking following a Cabinet meeting earlier, Minister Murphy said once the new legislation is passed this Autumn, Irish Water will begin an information campaign to inform customers how the refund process will work.

He added that equal treatment between Irish Water customers and those on group water schemes will be maintained by retaining the restored pre-2015 subsidy levels for group water schemes.