Sinn Féin Spokesperson on the Environment and Local Government, Brian Stanley TD, has strongly criticised Minister Phil Hogan's record in the Dáil.

The Laois/Offaly TD was scathing of the Minister's role in establishing Irish Water, in failing to bring forward the Climate Change Bill, and breaking the promise in the Programme for Government to introduce a bin charge waiver for low income households.

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Deputy Stanley said: "Unfortunately one promise the Government has fulfilled was to go ahead with the decision to establish Irish water, and to introduce domestic water charges. We have seen the costs of establishing the new entity spiral with over €80 million for consultancy firms, and salaries of over €100,000 for top executives.

"Households are being doubly charged for water as not only will they be subject to water charges, but the Local Property Tax is being raided to subvent Irish Water to the tune of €486 million. That will in turn reduce the funding available to local authorities to support local services."

(CD/JP)