Wicklow County Council has warned tenants that they could be evicted if they fail to pay water charges, Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald claimed in the Dáil today.

The claim was made during heated and personalised exchanges with Tánaiste Joan Burton, who was taking Opposition leaders’ questions.

Ms McDonald said that the letter was sent to RAS tenants, those availing of the rental accommodation scheme administered by the Department of the Environment.

“So now do we not alone have a threat to the supply of water, potential court action, we discover that the very roof over people’s heads may be in jeopardy,’’ she added.

Ms McDonald, who said there were 3,600 families covered by the RAS scheme, asked how the Tanaiste had authorised the issuing of such a threatening letter. “I want you to make it clear to those families and to local authority tenants that nobody will be evicted because they cannot pay the water charges,’’ she added.

Ms Burton said she understood that councillors representing Sinn Fein, Independents and Fianna Fail controlled Wicklow County Council. “Can I suggest that when you get time out of your busy schedule, you make a call to your own public representatives who serve on that county council and you suggest to them they might have a conversation with the management of the local authority ?,’’ she added.

Ms McDonald accused Ms Burton of not giving “a toss about struggling families’’, adding that her reply was dismissive and inaccurate. “You stand up and give me a smart alec response,’’ she added. “I am sorry, that is not good enough.’’

She added that local authority management administered Government policy. Council management, on the Government’s behalf, had written to tenants.

Ms Burton said she was not sure that Ms McDonald had much personal experience of what it was like not to be well off or to be unemployed.