Barry Cowen calls for honesty on Irish Water

Admissions by Fine Gael’s chief whip that the Government behaved in an “underhand” way over a Seanad nomination has provoked demands for ministers to be more honest.

Fianna Fáil environment spokesman Barry Cowen TD said the Government should now come clean over its handling of Irish Water.

Fine Gael chief whip Paul Kehoe has admitted to the Irish Examiner that the Government had made a string of “stupid mistakes” in 2014, including what he called “underhand” moves involving attempts to get a Fine Gael candidate elected to a Seanad vacancy.