SINN FEIN MEP Lynn Boylan attacked recently elected members of Ireland’s hung parliament yesterday for reneging on their promise to scrap widely hated water charges.

Her criticism came a day after the Dail failed to form a new government or elect a taoiseach to take over from Fine Gael incumbent Enda Kenny.

Mr Kenny’s alliance with the Labour Party lost its majority in the February 26 elections, largely due to public anger at the new charges for the previously free public utility.

But the opposition Fianna Fail party voted with the government on Thursday against a Sinn Fein proposal to abolish the charges.

Ms Boylan pointed out: “The majority of TDs elected to the new Dail stood on an anti-water charges platform.”

“Unfortunately, Fianna Fail, despite its election rhetoric, yesterday sided with Fine Gael to block a Sinn Fein motion for a debate on water charges and Irish water.”

The charges were the outgoing government’s response to a European Commission requirement for river basin management plans, with a submission deadline of March 22.

On Thursday, Mr Kenny failed in his bid to push back the next sitting of the Dail until April 6, after the deadline. The lower house of parliament will now meet on March 22.

“There is no obligation on Ireland to introduce water charges,” Ms Boyle said. “This might be the EU Commission’s preferred method, but it is not the only way.”

“This was one austerity element that was NOT forced upon us and time is running out to end the debacle once and for all.”