Ireland has scored a major victory against the acting government, after it was announced that water charges will be scrapped while an independent commission looks into the issue of water infrastructure.
In PR terms, it signifies a degrading rout for the outgoing Cabinet, as popular and political pressure (and to no lesser degree, Enda Kenny’s hunger to cling on to power) spurred the acting Taoiseach to cave in on the hated charges.
It has also emerged that households which did pay their water bill will not get refunded, as these monies were gulped down by Irish Water’s maw and spat back into the hands of consultants.
Crucially, however, Irish Water itself is set to be spared the stake, but what will happen to its staff -who will essentially have no work to do from now on- remains unclear.
The findings of the proposed commission will eventually be referred to a cross-party Oireachtas committee for consideration, though the charges themselves are unlikely to ever return.