Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has received a warning from gardaí about threats made to him by dissident republicans.

Mr Kelly said he, his family and staff have received death threats since Irish Water was set up.

Speaking on RTÉ television's Saturday Night with Miriam, he said a local Garda superintendent in Tipperary told him he was "under threat from dissident republicans."

“A couple of weeks ago a local Superintendent had to come up to me and find me and tell me to my face that I’m under threat from dissident republicans,” he said.

“It’s a difficult thing to talk about because it’s one thing to have some threats about yourself or nasty stuff about yourself but it’s another thing for stuff to be sent to your family, your wife, your parents but also your staff.

“These people just work for me and there’s people ringing them up saying they are going to be killed,” he added.

Mr Kelly said he thinks the group of people making the threats are “not really interested in water charges”.

“There is a broader issue here. There is a small group of people in this country who just want anarchy.”

Mr Kelly said the threats were serious and gardaí had to be involved.

“How do you distinguish between something whether it’s serious or not? You don’t know the minds of these people. In other countries people who work for politicians have been killed or injured and it’s completely unacceptable.”

When asked how many people have paid their water bills so far, he replied. “I don’t know....that’s being honest with you. I think Irish Water are going to announce it in the coming days.”

“There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. I’m not doing this to be popular, obviously, I’m doing it because it’s the right thing. It’s creating an infrastructure to ensure jobs.”

Mr Kelly said Irish Water has to have a board meeting before it informs him about the figures.

“I think we will be surprised by the volume of people that have paid their bills,” he said.

When asked if thought it was “shameful” that he is the Minister presiding over water charges when his family is from a Labour background he said: “I wouldn’t describe it as shameful. I wouldn’t do anything if I didn’t think it was right. I’m a person who’s driven by conviction, [I AM]very strong willed in what I do and what I say. What I say is what I mean and do.”

When it was put to Mr Kelly that the establishment of Irish Water was an “omnishambles” he acknowledged mistakes were made.

“Yes, there were lots of mistakes made. I’m often told I got one of the largest hospital passes in political history....and I agree, by the way.

“Lots of mistakes were made in relation to Irish Water but setting up Irish Water wasn’t a mistake.

“Down through history, water infastructure wasn’t invested in  [to] the level it needed to be because it was up competing with education, healthcare, social welfare and being honest, it wasn’t sexy enough to get the large scale funding that was required.”