The Tánaiste Joan Burton has played down reports that she will need extra staff to help pay the Water Conservation Grant to every home, and insists that she will be able to pay the €100 grant to every household that is entitled to it.

She has however refused to say how much it will cost her Department to administer the new grant, designed to help households with water charges.

The Tánaiste has come under pressure in the Dáil this afternoon after it emerged that the Department of Social Protection will need extra civil servants to make sure every home gets the €100 grant.

Joan Burton says it is natural for departments to speak to each other about the staff they will need to serve the public.

She says that is entirely normal - but that there will be no trouble in getting the grant to everyone who is entitled to it:

She has denied that the government is disorganised, and says it is just a case of forward planning:

The €100 grant - which will be available to everyone who registers with Irish Water - is part of the government's changes to water charges announced late last year, alongside a cap of €160 on bills for a single adult household or €260 for households with two or more adults.

Originally posted at 11.42am