‘Nothing new in car tax going to Irish Water’

Tánaiste Joan Burton has hit back at criticism from the chairman of the Dáil’s financial watchdog by accusing him of “playing politics” over Irish Water.

The head of the Public Accounts Committee, John McGuinness, drew the ire of the Labour leader by expressing alarm that a further €3.5bn of taxpayers’ money would be pumped into the utility by 2022.

The Fianna Fáil TD branded the funding of Irish Water a “financial mystery tour” and said motorists would be surprised to learn some €300m a year is being given to the utility from road tax via the local government fund.