Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called for an amendment to the legislation introducing water charges to include an ability-to-pay clause during heated Dáil exchanges.

He said there was absolutely no protection for the more than 370,000 people on the Live Register given that the households’ benefit package did not include those out of work.

“Consumption taxes are by their nature regressive but nothing has been built into this charging regime to protect low-income workers, one in five of whom, we are told, are earning below the living wage,’’ he said.

Mr Martin said there were families with three, four and five adults who would face significant bills. The estimated charge was €380 for a three-adult family, €482 for a four-adult household and €584 where there were five adults in the house.

“We are talking here about dependent young people in full-time education or unemployed,’’ he added.

“Those families are being screwed by this regime.’’

Some neck

Mr Martin said the estimates involved were extraordinarily high, with no mitigation whatsoever.

“To add insult to injury, those on boil water notices will receive a bill and will have to pay for the watered-out element, notwithstanding the significant expenditure they have faced as a result of having to boil water,’’ he added.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Mr Martin had “some neck to come in here and say what he is saying’’.

Fianna Fáil in government, he said, proposed the introduction of water charges at a minimum charge of €400 per household with no allowances.

“That is not true,’’ said Mr Martin. “It is true,’’ replied the Taoiseach.

Mr Kenny said that Mr Martin subsequently rejected that proposal and was now opposed to the introduction of water charges.

“If he were in government, however, he would have to do it,’’ he added. “There is a €3.4 billion hole in his party’s budgetary estimates and he needs to explain what he proposes to do regarding the €4 billion adjustment he had objected to in recent years.’’

Mr Kenny said the country was coming out of a recession. He repeated he did not accept criticism of Irish Water from the former minister of state for the environment Fergus O’Dowd who had piloted the relevant Bill through the house.

“I do accept, as everyone does, that some of the issues that were raised in the initial stages of the establishment of Irish Water were not as they should be,’’ he added.

“Clearly, there was not the clarity of explanation and understanding given to people as to what this was about.’’

Mr Kenny said the issue had to be dealt with. “We cannot go on paying €1.2 billion per year for the production of water, with 40 per cent of it leaking away, thousands of people on boil water notices, dozens of treatment works not up to standard and kilometres by the thousand of inferior pipe work,’’ he added.

He said it had not been dealt with because Fianna Fáil, for the main part, did not deal with it during its time in government over the past 25 years.

“Irish Water will be able to borrow to invest and fix these problems, and a contribution is being asked of people,’’ he added.