Mayor of Drogheda to still pay water bill despite resignation from FG

The Mayor of Drogheda, who became Fine Gael's first high-profile resignation over the water charges, has said he will still pay his water bill.

Kevin Callan announced yesterday that he was stepping down from the party because of the Government's handling of the controversy.

He is to stay on as Mayor but will become an independent member of Louth County Council.

He has also called on Fergus O'Dowd, who helped set up Irish Water, to consider his own position.

However, Mayor Callan says he will still pay his water bill, saying: "I will comply with the law, there is no question of that, I will always comply with the law and I believe strongly in peaceful protest.

"We certainly saw something unprecedented over the weekend. You can see that people have now come to the point where they are saying 'We simply do not have it, we will not have it, and we will not go to pay it', and I think the Government are missing that point."

The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin says Mr Callan's resignation is further evidence of panic in Government circles over Irish Water.

Mr Martin has called for the charges to be stopped while the Dáil debates the controversy.

He said: "The signs are that the Government plan for water charges is unravelling very quickly and this resignation is evidence of panic in the Government circles, particularly in Fine Gael and Labour circles.

"I think the Government should suspend the regime they have put in place in relation to water charges and have a full independent review and a proper comprehensive debate in the Dáil."