Government drops plans for excessive water use charges following backlash

The Housing Department has scrapped plans for excess water charges after criticism, with Sinn Féin calling it a hidden tax

Uisce Éireann first published its water charges plan last year, which set out that each house in Ireland would be able to use an annual allowance of 213,000 litres of water

The Department of Housing has reversed plans to introduce charges on excessive water use.

In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for the department said that housing minister James Browne was aware of work to introduce regulations on excessive water use.