Water charges will not be reintroduced, the Taoiseach has confirmed.

Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist, Dublin West) a noted anti-service charges campaigner, had asked about the report of the "three wise men", who proposed the introduction of water charges.

He said the Tanaiste "visited this well with unhappy results in 1997" and asked the Taoiseach to indicate Government thinking on whether it wanted to reintroduce water taxes.

The "three wise men" were appointed by the Government to independently review public spending, Mr Ahern told the House, and recommended that after the Budget the Department of Finance should focus on spending between 2004 and 2006.

They suggested that charges could be applied for the use of drinking water and sewage treatment requirements.

In their report, the review group had noted that Ireland was the only EU member and OECD country not to charge domestic consumers for water and sewerage services.

The group said that drinking water quality and sewage treatment requirements were becoming more stringent, and water sanitary services more expensive to provide and operate.