Phil Hogan: Income tax will rise if water charges are scrapped

Phil Hogan has washed his hands of blame for the disastrous launch of Irish Water as he warned income tax would have to rise if charging was scrapped.

The former environment minister shrugged off suggestions he should have kept a tighter grip on the utility before he quit the Cabinet to take up the high-profile European commissioner for agriculture role in Brussels.

Asked if he had left a mess for other people to clean up when he went to Europe, Mr Hogan said: “I don’t agree with that. Government set policy and government policy has been implemented.”