Politics

FF won’t take ‘final position’ on water charges until after Oireachtas deliberations

Michael McGrath says the party will respect the outcome of the committee’s process

Michael McGrath: ‘We won’t be adopting any final position until the joint committee has concluded its work’. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Michael McGrath: ‘We won’t be adopting any final position until the joint committee has concluded its work’. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Sarah Bardon
Tue Nov 29 2016 - 13:37

Fianna Fáil will adopt a final position on water charges after an Oireachtas committee concludes its deliberations.

Chaired by the former chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Duffy, an expert commission is expected to recommend generous domestic allowances which would effectively scrap water charges for most families.

The report will be sent to a newly established Oireachtas committee for examination and charges will be decided by a Dáil vote.

Fianna Fáil’s spokesman on finance Michael McGrath said the party would respect the outcome of the process.

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Mr McGrath said the draft recommendations were a significant departure from Government policy.

He said: “We won’t be adopting any final position until the joint committee has concluded its work. We are dealing with a leaked draft report.”