Paul Murphy: Campaigners claiming victory on water charges, but Govt may try again
Anti-water charge campaigners are claiming victory in the final report of the water committee to be voted on tomorrow.
It effectively scraps water charges, recommends refunds of payments and also gets rid of plans to install meters in all new builds.
However, it will be up to Minister Simon Coveney to bring forward legislation to give effect to the recommendations.
Solidarity TD Paul Murphy says that will be one to watch.
He said: "It's not over from the point of view of the movement, until legislation has been passed, until charges are completely gone.
"And to be honest until Irish Water is gone as well. There are things that they can try and do in the legislation to sew in a back door to water charges.
"That's the most they can do at this stage, but can they try and come to it again with legislation? Yes they can.
"Can Fianna Fáil be trusted? Obviously not."
Fine Gael says it will not support what it calls a dishonest report from the committee in the final vote tomorrow.
However, it is unclear if Minister Coveney will renege on the agreement with Fianna Fáil to legislate for what the committee decides, which would cause a general election.
Fine Gael TD and committee member Colm Brophy said: "There is no point, for political expediency, in this committee coming back with a report that happens to conveniently get Fianna Fáil out of a logjam by siding with the hard left in Sinn Féin, if the recommendations of the committee are not legal and do not comply with the water framework directive requirements and other obligations which this state has."
