Parties have options to stem flow of Irish Water issues

The latest legal row over whether Irish Water charges can be scrapped has not, despite claims to the contrary, sunk any chance of resolving the issue.

Instead, it may have clarified the most likely solution to the utility and its bills which remain a key stumbling block to any Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil deal.

As reported by the Irish Examiner on March 4, cancelling charges would be illegal in the eyes of the European Commission as Ireland now has a fees ‘tradition’. However, Brussels may tolerate a deferral of the payment system.