Confusion still reigns on water grant costs

The Department of Social Protection is still refusing to clarify how much the Government water conservation grant will cost to implement, despite growing pressure for the full expense to be revealed.

A spokesperson for the Government body failed to answer any questions put to it by the Irish Examiner, 24 hours after Tánaiste Joan Burton was accused of deliberately misleading the public over the costs involved.

Correspondence obtained by RTÉ on Thursday showed the department’s secretary general, Niamh O’Donoghue, raised serious concerns over the grant move — which has been labelled a “bribe” by opposition TDs — when it was first announced.