Latest: Fianna Fáil will not support Sinn Féin motion on water charges
Fianna Fáil has said that it will not be supporting a motion by Sinn Féin and other TDs that calls for the immediate scrapping of water charges.
The party is to put down an amendment to the motion which will be put forward on Wednesday night.
It has not ruled out supporting a Government counter-motion on water charges if the wording reflects what has been agreed between the two parties.
"Well, I can't say that at this stage, I haven't seen the amendment," said Fianna Fáil's Dublin Mid West TD John Curran.
"You could ask the question the other way around - will the Government support the amendment we're putting forward?
"But effectively, we're putting forward an amendment, in Private Members, to indicate our situation on this, and the work that has been done in the formation of a Programme for Government."
It is also understood that Independent TD and junior minister John Halligan has agreed to support a Government counter-motion on the subject of water charges.
The minority Government will face its first real test this week when a motion to scrap water charges immediately is debated in the Dáil.
Sinn Féin and other anti-charges TDs have put forward the motion, and it is unclear at this stage what Fianna Fáil will do when the vote takes place on Wednesday night.
The facilitation agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil plans for charges to be suspended and an Independent Commission to look at them.
The motion states:
— establish a public water and sanitation board to deliver water on the basis of need; and
Some 39 TDs in total - all from the Right to Change banner - and including Sinn Féin, Anti Austerity Alliance, People Before Profit, Social Democrats and Independents have already signed the motion.
“The latest figures from Irish Water clearly demonstrate that people are opposed to paying this unfair tax,” said Sinn Féin's Eoin O'Broin.
“We expect all the TDs elected on the anti-water charges platform to vote in favour of this motion.
“We also expect the Government to respect the democratic will of the people and to scrap this charge.”
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said: “Water charges are politically dead.
“The Government should now allow then to be buried in the Dáil this week.”
One test for the Government could be how newly appointed junior minister John Halligan votes. The Waterford TD has indicated that he may vote in favour of the Opposition.
However, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney is to put down a counter-motion this week, which he hopes Deputy Halligan will support instead.
“I hope when he sees our motion, which is a counter-motion to what Sinn Féin are doing this week, he’ll see that what we’re committing to in that motion is what’s in the Programme for Government, which John will be familiar with, so I hope he’ll be comfortable with that,” said Minister Coveney.
