Fianna Fáil says €500 water charge was an ‘estimate”’

Fianna Fáil environment spokesman Barry Cowen has hit back at revelations that his party planned to introduce €500 water charges while in office, saying that the Irish Water “mess” is “Fine Gael policy alone” and “solely the responsibility of Government”.

Detailed cabinet files obtained by RTÉ at the weekend show the then Fianna Fáil-Greens-PDs government drew up plans for potential water charges twice as high as the current fee, a water entity to oversee the bills and a metering system in summer 2010.

The move was considered at cabinet meetings in July and September 2010, months before the Troika bailout which is regularly put forward as the reason for a cluster of unpopular austerity measures.

However, despite the criticism from Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald over the revelation, Fianna Fáil environment spokesman Barry Cowen strenuously denied his party is partially responsible for the water charges debacle, saying that the Irish Water “mess” is “Fine Gael policy alone” and “solely the responsibility of Government”.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin

“At no stage was it agreed to charge €500 per household nor were any charges brought forward in the previous government’s budgets,” he said.

“Any attempt to suggest otherwise is deeply disingenuous.

“The €500 charge per household was an estimate worked out by the Department of Finance, based on recovering the full operating costs. Irish Water was established because it was Fine Gael policy.”

The defence mirrors comments from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who was a cabinet member in 2010, but did not take a side at the time — who stressed on Sunday that water charges “never happened” when his party was in office.

Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger

Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger said the row highlights how “Fine Gael and Labour are implementing the same plan drawn up by Fianna Fáil and the Greens”.

Noting the fact the planned €500 rate is twice as high as the current Irish Water figure, she said: “This is a reminder about where water charges are ultimately heading.”