Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has denied making a u-turn over the party’s position on water charges.

Brendan Howlin has said that Labour wants a free allowance to cover a family’s needs, with charges for people who use excessively beyond that.

The overhaul of charges under party colleague and former Minister Alan Kelly saw a free allowance for adults being scrapped.

Brendan Howlin has said that was a compromise Labour had to reach in Government.

“We certainly made compromises in the last five years, we’ve acknowledged that,” he said.

“What we’re now setting out is a fresh agenda for Labour. We’re asking people to support that, because the greater support we get, the more of that policy platform that will be fresh, that will be progressive, will be implemented.”