Tempers boil over between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil at water committee

Two hours of heated debate and wrangling behind closed doors between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over water bills has led to calls for a report on water to be delayed and the need for legal advice.

Members of the Oireachtas committee on water charges were unable yesterday to agree on whether to recommend whether there should or should not be charges for “excess use”.

Committee chairman Pádraig Ó Céidigh has been tasked with the help of Oireachtas staff in drawing up a draft report on the future of charges for next Monday — despite the disagreement. Members have until this Friday to make written submissions for the report before debating it in private next Tuesday.

The latest deadlock is over whether households should be billed for excess use. Fine Gael maintains this is necessary to comply with EU laws and avoid hefty fines. Fianna Fáil argues Ireland is exempt from charging homes and that users can be fined under existing laws.

This latter point was debated yesterday, but there is concern the existing Irish Water Services Act allows for water to be cut off in homes and for those wasting it to be jailed.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen and Housing Minister Simon Coveney both insisted they did not want to cut off supplies for homes.

The committee meeting in Leinster House was described as “heated” and members from both parties tore “strips out of each other”, sources said.

Some members want more legal advice on whether having no charges at all would contravene EU law while others have proposed getting sight of the legal advice the government is relying on.

Fine Gael and Independent members suggested the committee get extra time to do its work, beyond a March 13 deadline. But water charges are only suspended until the end of March.

Speaking after the committee row, Sinn Féin TD and member Eoin O’Broin said he hoped all sides could come to an agreement.

The committee is split over water charges, with 10 members against future charging while Fine Gael, Labour, Independents and Green members argue taxpayers should not pay for those wasting water.

The committee though is likely to agree that there should be refunds for some €162m in bills paid in recent years. Mr Coveney said he is willing to look at this option. Any future metering of homes is also likely to be recommended against by a majority on the committee.

Earlier, Mr Cowen accused Mr Coveney of “undermining” the committee’s work. He said Scottish experts had told the committee that individual leakage and usage could be detected by district metering.

He also warned that any refusal to implement recommendations on water could collapse the Government.

Mr Cowen said: “If he [the minister] refuses to legislate, if he refuses to adhere to the confidence and supply agreement [under which the Fine Gael minority government relies on Fianna Fáil support to pass legislation] and what is contained within it, it’s him that’s tearing it up and it is him that is bringing down the Government.”