Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams has branded the Water Tax a "fiasco" and is once again calling for the charges to be scrapped.

Mr Adams asked the Taoiseach to clear up the contradiction between a statement made by Tánaiste Joan Burton when she quoted specific figures in the Dáil for water tax bills only for her statement to be flatly rejected by Mr Kenny.

Mr Adams said: "Taoiseach, yesterday the Tánaiste told the Dáil that a family of four adults would pay a Water Tax bill of €200 euro. Her statement was later quickly and flatly rejected by her own spokesperson and by your spokesperson.

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"There were then media briefings from the Government that the Tánaiste was expressing a 'personal view'. So, here we have the Taoiseach repudiating the Tánaiste. The question is, which one of you is tweedle dum? And who is tweedle dee? Taoiseach, is the Tánaiste not part of the Government?"

Mr Adams went on to ask: "Yesterday you majored on the need for clarity. So, could you set out for the Dáil today, precisely what the Government position is? Is the Tánaiste correct in the figures she quoted or is she incorrect?

"Yesterday you refused to scrap Water Charges. So, how much will you charge families for water? Struggling families have the right to know. Remember, back in the day, when you said you would be different from all the rest? You said 'Paddy likes to know'.

"Well, tell Paddy and Patricia now. Was the Tánaiste right in the figure she put forward yesterday? And if she wasn’t right, please tell the Dáil how much you are going to charge for water."

(CD/MH)