Government: ‘Pay water bill or welfare will be cut’

Plans to cut unemployed people’s welfare payments for not paying their water charge bills have been criticised by free legal aid providers and opposition TDs.

The Cabinet was due to discuss the measures last night as well as plans to deduct earnings and tenants’ deposits for not paying small bills in general, including water charges.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the new debt enforcement measures to push households to pay their water bills were targeted at people who won’t pay their water charge bills as opposed to those who can’t.