Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he expects the Government to finalise the matter of Irish Water charges the week after next, adding that Irish Water would never be privatised
Mr Kenny said the Coalition had listened to the concerns of people.
He said a fee regime that was clear, fair, affordable and accountable would be put in place.
He said he wanted contributions to be as low as possible.
The Taoiseach said Irish Water would never be privatised and the people should understand that charges would be for the country's benefit to ensure the water infrastructure was up to standard and capable of dealing with future demand.
The Government is currently looking at the pricing model and in particular at households with more than two adults.
80% of households are made up of one or two adults, and 20% are made up of more than two adults.
Under the present pricing regime, a household with one adult will be charged €176, with an additional charge of €102 for each additional adult.
One option under consideration is that the same charge would apply to all households with more than two adults.
The Government is still considering its options and no decisions have yet been made.
Tánaiste Joan Burton earlier said the impact of water charges will be eased for the vast majority of people by the payment of a water conservation or water support payment.
She said this will be paid on a quarterly basis through the Department of Social Protection or allocated as a tax credit.
Speaking in Galway this morning, the Minister for Social Protection said the Government was working on the detail of how these allowances would tie in with a water payment structure.
The minister said final charges would be "modest" for individuals or families.
She said she accepted that the issue of water charges was difficult for people, but that the benefit of an improved water supply would bring a huge economic and social return to the country.
Ms Burton said she had appointed Alan Kelly as Minister for the Environment to resolve the issues that surrounded the establishment of Irish Water.
She said she was delighted that he had laid to rest the prospect of people having their water supply cut if they did not pay their bills.
Ms Burton said this would never have been allowed and was never envisaged by the Labour Party.
The Tánaiste also said she believed people would be convinced of the importance of paying the fees.
She said if people still refused, then the water charges would become a debt that people would have to address.
Ms Burton said that she expected Irish Water would use the "normal procedures" to collect debts.
She said she was also concerned about some "fringe elements" involved in the campaign against water charges.
Ms Burton expects the final fee structure will be finalised in the next fortnight.
Meanwhile, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton has said raising income tax to pay for water charges would kill employment and was not an option he would support.
Speaking at the C&D foods plant in Longford where he was announcing 70 new jobs, Mr Bruton said he had confidence in CEO of Irish Water John Tierney and the Government would move next week to clarify the future arrangements for everyone.
Minister admits people should be concerned over privatisation
Minister of State for Primary and Social Care Kathleen Lynch has admitted that people should be concerned about the possible privatisation of Irish Water.
Speaking in Limerick earlier, Ms Lynch said the Government must reassure people that their water supply will remain in the ownership of the people of Ireland.
"Whether or not Irish Water can be sold into private ownership in the future should be a concern to people. Whether or not a referendum is needed to do that I'm undecided," she said.
"We may be able to do it through firmer and tighter legislation whereby it would take an act of the Oireachtas in order to have that privatisation take place.
"I'm not certain which of those two routes would be the best place. But we need to reassure people that in the future their water supply will be in the ownership of the people of Ireland."
Independent TD says Govt is 'in crisis'
Anti Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy has said Mr Kelly's comments on sanctions against those who do not pay water charges are proof that the Government is in massive crisis and on the back foot.
Mr Kelly said yesterday he did not want householders to have their water pressure cut off or reduced if they do not pay their charges.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Murphy said it was the Government who chose to give Irish Water the ability to reduce pressure in the legislation establishing the utility.
Elsewhere, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said the Government will announce a comprehensive package "soon" that will address all the issues raised by people.
He said it will give certainty on the method of payment, which will be affordable and does not shock people, but made no comment about what sanctions will be open to Irish Water if people refuse to pay.
Separately, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar called on those campaigning against water charges to condemn any use of violence during protests.
He said people involved in opposition to water charges should be unequivocal in their condemnation of anyone who brings violence into the campaign.
GRA members subjected to 'threats'
The Garda Representative Association has gardaí have been subjected to threats to their personal safety and property both directly and online as a result of the water protests.
The organisation said its members work with peaceful protesters, but what it calls this "darker element" is to be condemned by the public, media and political leaders.
It said it has seen steadily increasing assaults on members, which is an unacceptable.
It has also raised concern that the uniform no longer offers democratic protection.
GRA president Dermot O'Brien said the association has asked garda management to step up resources to protect its members from threats to their personal safety.
He said gardaí appreciate that there is public anger, but this should not be directed at individual members of An Garda Síochána, who are workers directed by their supervisors to uphold our laws.
Minister for justice condemns protesters' behaviour
The Minister for Justice has said that the kind of behaviour that has been seen at some water meter protests is not acceptable.
Frances Fitzgerald said people have an absolute right to peaceful protest and many people have concerns about the situation in relation to Irish water.
She said she understood those concerns and that people would want to have their voices heard.
But she said it was a very different situation where tyres of Garda vehicles and water installation workers being slashed, windscreen being broken, gardaí being assaulted and intimidation of workers.
Minister Fitzgerald said violence intimidation and extremely aggressive behaviour would not be tolerated.
She said she believed those that had concerns would be horrified at some of the incidents and behaviour that is happening.
Reacting to comments that protesters themselves were being attacked, the minister she said such claims were not correct.
She said that gardaí had been extremely restrained.
Ms Fitzgerald said she believed that what she called other groups were using the protests and installation of meters for other ends.
She said she would be concerned that groups that had other agendas including the undermining of the institutions of the State are involved in some of these protests.
Reacting to a statement by the GRA that they had asked garda management to step up resources to protect members from threats to their personal safety, she said this was not a resourcing issue in this particular instance.
Right2Water committed to peaceful protest
In a statement, the Right2Water campaign group said they are committed to campaigning peacefully for the recognition that water is a human right, and for the abolition of domestic water charges.
The group also pointed out that two major demonstrations which it organised, attracting 100,000 and 150,000 people respectively, were organised in full cooperation with gardaí and no arrests were reported at either event.
Right2Water added that they believe gardaí have "been put in an invidious position by the Government's massively unpopular water charges policy, which has forced the gardaí to balance different sets of rights - which must include the right to peaceful protest."
Water meter installation continuing
Meanwhile, Irish Water has said that water meter installation has not been cancelled or postponed.
In a statement it said installation "is continuing across the country"
It said: "We aim to put in 27,000 meters monthly and this week we have put in 8,000. Our metering programme is ahead of schedule.
"Irish Water does not provide details of where and when metering is taking place, except to the directly affected customers.
"There have been a number of occasions where the protests have escalated at individual work sites and have impacted on the health and safety of workers on these sites, necessitating, in some instances, the withdrawal of our staff.
"This has not affected the pace of the overall metering programme. The safety of our staff is paramount.
"Irish Water would request that the contractor's staff be treated with dignity and be allowed to carry out their work in a safe and dignified manner."
