Minister losing grip, say opposition

Ministers have been accused of losing their grip on Irish Water as fresh controversies engulf the agency.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen said the Government has over-stated how inefficient local authority handling of water supply had been in order to justify charging people for a centralised service.

“They have put the cart before the horse. Nobody has put on the table a road map of necessary repairs, or how those repairs are meant to be met, the costs associated with them, and how people can eventually have a system that is fit for purpose,” he said.