Labour Senator Ivana Bacik said greater clarity on water charges was long overdue.

“The issue of adult dependent children is particularly pressing, but in regard to the ongoing debate in the media on Irish Water it is important for us as Senators to state we did not guillotine the Bill in this House. We had an extended debate on the Water Services Bill.”

Ms Bacik said it was fair for Government and Opposition TDs to criticise the way the Bill was rushed through the Dáil.

Independent Senator Katherine Zappone said there was public anger about the mistakes made relating to Irish Water, as had been acknowledged by Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly.

She said she had marched with the people of Tallaght who said there was a mixture of reasons for coming out in their thousands. “It is the water issue but it is not just that issue.”

The Government, said Ms Zappone, had pursued a policy of massive social disinvestment during the austerity period. “Many women and children were hit particularly hard by the cuts.”

She said recent reports had unequivocally demonstrated that the Government was failing many in both groups.

“Why are women becoming increasingly worse off relative to their male counterparts in a recovering economy?”