Housing Minister Simon Coveney expects to appoint a new water commission chief by this weekend, as he goes to Brussels to stop the EU fining Ireland for suspending water charges.

The sudden departure of Joe O’Toole as chairman of the water charges commission will make even more difficult the task of Housing Minister Simon Coveney as he travels to Brussels to explain the Government’s decision to suspend water charges.

The Government have been left scrambling to find a new chairperson for the commission on water charges after its chairman was forced to resign over his views and comments.