Government defeats Sinn Féin's attempt to abolish Irish Water
The Government has defeated Sinn Féin's attempt to abolish Irish Water and scrap charges immediately.
Fianna Fáil abstained in votes tonight, meaning the minority had comfortable winning margins.
In the end the Governments counter motion which basically outlined the compromise deal reached with Fianna Fáil passed by 59 votes to 38.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney last night said the best result would be to leave the future of Irish Water in the hands of the experts.
“What we are trying to do here is to allow for an informed and detailed discussion on how we fund water provision and waste water treatment in the future,” said Coveney.
“We are trying to take some of the heat out this issue by providing a nine-month window for that debate.”
