The European Commission (EC) has been criticised for "sticking its nose" into the water charge issue in Ireland.

Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin Lynn Boylan said the EC needs to take a "cold hard look at itself" as it is aware a review into water charging is ongoing.

Ms Boylan said: "It must be noted that the position of the European Commission has curiously seemed to change over the past couple of years on this issue. Indeed, a year and a half ago, Commissioner Vella's water unit in the Commission confirmed in emails to separate queries from both myself and Marian Harkin MEP that Ireland could in fact opt to not charge for water as is permitted in the Water Framework Directive.

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"The increasingly political interventions we are seeing now from the Commission are therefore particularly at odds with what they’ve already put on the record on this issue. But then again, a year and a half ago the prospect of Irish water charges being abolished probably seemed a distant possibility to Mr Vella and the Fine Gael government.

"Contrary to what Fine Gael and the European Commission would like us to believe, Ireland's hands are not tied regarding abolishing water charges. They have previously stated that we can do so with the only thing changing since then is the very real possibility through the Expert Commission that they could be abolished."

(CD/MH)