Water charges should fund social housing, not tax cuts, says ESRI

The money raised from water charges should be used to fund the building of social housing and not to pay for cuts in income tax, according to the country’s leading economics think-tank.

The Economic and Social Research Institute makes the recommendation in its latest report which predicts Ireland will have one of the fastest growing economies in Europe this year.

It has joined a growing number of experts in claiming that the country’s revival in fortunes is hitting stronger and faster than originally thought.