Two water charge protesters have been released from prison.

Eamon McGrath and Sean Doyle were released from Cloverhill Prison in Wicklow on a 'technicality' after being remanded in custody following a demonstration against water charges.

Sinn Féin TD John Brady said the two men should have never been locked up.

He said: "People voted water charges out in the General Election. If politicians were to follow through on the democratic mandate they received, neither of the two would have had to protest in the first place.

"Sinn Féin are putting a motion in front of the Dáil today to scrap water charges and Irish Water. I'm urging on all TDs to support this motion, Fianna Fáil TDs in particular who promised to abolish water charges prior to the election. The majority of Dáil TDs are in support of their abolition. It’s now time for water charges to go for good."

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At the time Éirígí also claimed the arrests were "politically motivated".

Spokesperson Damien Farrell said: "These arrests were clearly politically motivated, Sean and Eamon were taking part in a peaceful protest against ongoing attempts to install water meters linked to a Water Tax that has already been defeated. The state is sending a clear message through theses arrests - it's permissible to assault people in full view of the Gardai but oppose regressive taxation and the privatisation of our natural resources and you'll feel the full weight of the state. The decision of the court to remand Sean in custody for at least two weeks and Eamon for at least six weeks further demonstrates the political nature of the policing and justice system."

(CD/MH)