Water charges will not be brought back, the Taoiseach has pledged.
It comes as opposition parties accused the Government of trying to re-introduce the water charges through the “back door”.
Attempts to introduce metered water charges as part of the bailout programme were abandoned in 2014 after numerous mass protests.
Under commitments in the previous Programme for Government, work was initiated on draft regulations for charges for excessive water use.
A recent briefing document prepared for new Housing Minister James Browne lists finalising the draft household water conservation charge regulations as a high-level priority.
However, speaking to reporters in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, Mr Martin said: “There will be no return to water charges.”
Paul Murphy (Liam McBurney/PA)
The Department of Housing also said that Minister Browne is not giving consideration to bringing in excessive use charges “at this time”.
It added: “No proposal has been brought to the Minister in this regard, and charges do not form part of the current programme for government.
“The minister is focused on implementing the programme for government, and in particular, he is focused on increasing the delivery of more homes, which is his highest priority.”
Asked about this statement, Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane accused the Government of flying kites by saying the measures would not be brought in “at this time”.
He said: “My position is: Not at any time.”
He added: “It wasn’t in the (new) Programme for Government. It wasn’t something that they went to the electorate on. We had an election in 2020 and 2016 where, clearly, water charges were an issue – particularly in 2016.
“The issue has been put to bed. There should not be, and there will not be, in my view, domestic water charges, either through the front door or through the back door.”
Sinn Fein’s health spokesperson David Cullinane said Sinn Fein will put pressure on Government ‘not to cheat the Irish people’ on water charges (Niall Carson/PA)
Mr Cullinane said Sinn Fein will put “maximum pressure” on the Government “not to cheat the Irish people” on water charges.
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said the introduction of water charges was previously “defeated” through grassroots organisation, mass protests and co-ordinated non-payment.
Mr Murphy, who was a key figure in those protests, said on Tuesday that the regulations setting the limit for excessive water usage could be revised down to allow for charges on the mass majority of people.
“We want to say very, very clearly to the Government that if they proceed with this, they will face massive opposition.
“That opposition will not just be in the Dail where they have a majority, but it will be like we saw 10 years ago on the streets in massive numbers in communities resisting water meters, and we will make it impossible for them to impose these excessive usage charges.
“So we are warning the government to step back from this.”