No movement on water charges as billing date looms

The Government is standing over the introduction of water charges from next week despite repeated calls from Sinn Féin for them to be abolished.

For the second day running, Sinn Féin has pleaded with the coalition in the Dáil not to go ahead with charging for water from October 1 because of improving economic figures.

Mary Lou McDonald described the charges as "camouflage for more pain", but the Minister for Jobs, Richard Bruton, defended the decision in response.

"Of course we recognise that people don't like to have to pay for a charge that they didn't have to pay for before," he said.

"This is absolutely a correct way to manage a very expensive resource in which there have been years of under-investment."

"That's the choice we made, and I think it's one that we can absolutely stand over."

Meanwhile, water charge protesters have given undertakings to the High Court to demonstrate peacefully.

It follows allegations that water meter installers have been head butted, punched, intimidated and harassed in North Dublin.

The demonstrators deny being involved in unlawful activity and claim the workers acted as agents provocateurs.