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.