Water charges impasse to be addressed today

A fresh effort is getting underway to resolve the impasse over whether to bill Irish consumers for water.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney insists EU rules demand some form of charge, but Fianna Fail says it has legal advice that existing Irish laws - the 2007 Water Services Act - would cover that requirement. 20 members of a special Oireachtas committee will meet again today. Journalist with the Irish Independent Niall O'Connor says chairman, Senator Padraig O'Ceidigh, will put new suggestions to them to try and move forward.