How committee is split on water charges debacle

IN TERMS of even producing a report, the Oireachtas Water committee is very finely split – with 10 in favour of producing one that abolishes water charges, eight against and two undecided/nondeclared swing votes.

In the ‘for’ camp, Fianna Fáil have five votes, Sinn Féin have two, socialists have two and Independent Thomas Pringle makes up the 10.

Against are Fine Gael’s six votes, including controversial Alan Farrell. The Green Party and Labour have one each to make up the eight. The two swing votes are Noel Grealish from the Rural Independent Group and Pádraig Ó Céidigh, an Independent Senator appointed by Enda Kenny, at the behest of Micheál Martin.