Labour is accusing Sinn Féin of "trying to ride two horses at the same time" regarding water charges.

Sean Kenny, TD, said: "Just a month ago, Pearse Doherty, the Sinn Féin finance spokesperson, said on Morning Ireland that Sinn Féin were not going to start laying down pre-conditions for going into a coalition government, and he specifically said that getting rid of water charges would not be a pre-condition.

"Strangely, just two weeks after that, Mary Lou McDonald suddenly came out to declare the abolition of water charges as an issue that would be a pre-condition for going into government. She actually had the gall to say that Sinn Féin had a commitment to reversing water charges was 'steadfast'.

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"The fact of the matter is that Sinn Féin is contradicting itself, and doing so in a very short timeframe. It demonstrates that they have no commitment to anything, that they will change the facts to suit themselves, regardless of the facts. Sinn Féin cannot be trusted on the economy, they cannot be trusted on any economic policy matter.

"Sinn Féin could have abolished water charges in the North of Ireland, where they actually are in Government, but did not do so. The Sinn Féin minister in charge of water services, Conor Murphy, had the opportunity to reverse water metering but made no attempt to do so. In actual fact, a comprehensive water metering programme took place across domestic properties in Northern Ireland."

(CD/MH)