Irish Water customers who paid their bills are to be refunded before Christmas, according to Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Housing and Local Government Eoin Ó Broin TD, welcomed the announcement and said it marks another victory of the Right2Water movement which sought to see charges abolished and people refunded.

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He said: "While initial details seem positive, now details surrounding the refunds are still lacking.

"Given the tight fiscal space available in budget 2017, Minister Murphy must clarify where the money for this refund is going to come from.

"My understanding is that that funds will come from a number of areas including labour activation where there have been under-spends in 2017. It is important that no money is taken from priority areas such as housing and health.

"The legislation that is required to make this a reality needs to be published immediately to allow for proper scrutiny to ensure that this is done efficiently and effectively."

(CD/JP)