The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has played down comments by Tánaiste Joan Burton that a family of four adults would pay €200 in water charges.

Last night, a spokesman for Ms Burton said the figure was merely her opinion, and that nothing has been agreed by the government.

And today, Mr Kenny said his deputy was speaking in a personal capacity.

The Environment Minister Alan Kelly said earlier that the comments from Ms Burton were a "reasonable assessment".

But when Mr Kelly was asked if he could guarantee the figure of €200 for two adults and their grown up children, he said he supported that.

Earlier on Newstalk Breakfast, Minister of State and Labour TD Ged Nash stated that he would like to see the charge for a family come in under the rate the Tánaiste had discussed in the Dáil yesterday.

He also stated that he agreed with the "logic" of Tanaiste Joan Burton's statement that water charges for a family of four adults would be less than €200:

This afternoon, the Tánaiste Joan Burton said there needs to be a flat charge for water for a minimum of two years and that the coalition is looking at an even longer timeframe.

She also stood by her view that charges for a family of four adults would be below €200 a year.

Ms Burton told reporters that both Fine Gael and Labour are "on the same page" in relation to the figures.