Opposition demands deferral of school water charges
Fine Gael and the Labour Party are demanding that the Government sort out the issue of water charges for primary schools before Christmas.
The two parties are joining forces today to table a joint motion at the Oireachtas Education Committee seeking a deferral of the charges until the end of 2009.
The Taoiseach and the Minister for Education have claimed they cannot stop the charges as they must be levied under an EU directive.
However, European Affairs Minister Dick Roche says each EU member state can implement the directive "in a way that is appropriate to its circumstances".
