The minority Government looks set to defeat an opposition motion on water charges on Wednesday.

Independent TD and Minister of State John Halligan says he will now support the Government, after earlier suggesting he might side with the opposition.

And Fianna Fáil have said they will table a counter-motion on the issue.

The vote on Wednesday night will be the first real test of the minority Government on the issue of water charges.

In a statement this evening Spokesperson for Housing and Planning Barry Cowen said that they would be putting forward their own amendment to this motion, which sets out a clear path to end water charges through legislation.

He also criticised Sinn Féin ‘for using Private Members time for political point scoring rather than achieving progress on key policy areas’.