Irish broadcaster RTE has been accused of "misleading its coverage" over water charges.

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said the broadcaster was wrong to insinuate that Ireland is the only country not to price water.

She confirmed Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and France are all countries to have made use of the derogation.

She said: "Either their informant is leading them up the garden path or our state broadcaster is attempting to influence the debate with deliberately ambiguous information which could have come straight from the press office of Irish Water.

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"On the 7th of April I submitted a very straightforward question to the Commission to get confirmation that the derogation to not bring in water charging policies cannot be removed unless there is a change in EU legislation.

"After exceeding the deadline by over three weeks and blocking the response due to pressure from the highest levels within the institution, the Commission has now been embarrassed into publishing a vague response after I published a press release on this political intervention yesterday.

"It is clearly regretting its previous statements on this issue which has confirmed that Member States can still use the derogation and even that there is no specific requirement for cost recovery to rely on individual consumption. It is now grasping at straws and create confusion regarding so-called 'established practices'.

"Ireland still has the possibility to use the derogation from water pricing as many other regions and countries have done across the European Union. It is clear that cost recovery does not require water pricing, as is the case in Scotland."

(CD/LM)