Warning of backdated €20k a day fine if water charges scrapped

Fine Gael members have been warned that Ireland would be hit with a daily €20,000 fine, backdated to 2009, if water charges are scrapped.

Senator Paudie Coffey, who is a member of the water committee, told party members that Ireland would be fined more than €50m by the European Commission if they do not implement water charges.

He said that the arguments in favour of scrapping water charges put forward by Fianna Fáil in recent days were legally “questionable” and told his fellow Fine Gael members that the commission had already given Ireland a grace period to introduce these charges.