The move seems to anticipate that water charges, currently suspended, will be brought back next year

Irish Water is seeking to hire a debt collection agency to chase overdue payments, despite the government having decided to suspend charges until next year.

A tender published yesterday calls for the recovery of business debt and paves the way to tackle overdue domestic water charges.

Residential charges were suspended for nine months from July while a commission was set up to examine how Ireland should fund its water services.

Simon Coveney, the environment minister, introduced the Water Services Amendment Bill to the Dail in June. He stressed that it would have no impact on Irish Water customers who were already in arrears.

“I hope the decision to have an assessment board and expert commission will help to depoliticise this issue”, the minister said at