Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has said he does not want householders to have their water pressure cut off or reduced if they do not pay their charges.
Mr Kelly said it is not realistic to say that it will happen and that such comments were never helpful and should never have been made.
He said the Government wants people to pay their bills and it is working to ensure that charges will be modest.
Minister Kelly said, however, that the Government will have to look at "mechanisms" to deal with people who do not pay their water charges.
"I feel the day of going out and saying that peoples' water is going to be cut off or reduced to a trickle is over," he said.
"I don't think it is appropriate to be using the language of going out and saying that you are potentially going to cut off people or reduce the pressure of their water."
"And maybe it was not the approach that should have been taken ... I would say that it wasn't the approach that should have been taken."
Irish Water Managing Director John Tierney said Mr Kelly has been very clear about the system that will be implemented.
Mr Tierney said he believes that the vast majority of people will pay their water charges.
He said it is the responsibility of the Government to decide on the amount householders will have to pay.
Earlier, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a "great deal of progress" had been made on the Irish Water issue, following a meeting this morning of the Economic Management Council.
The EMC is made up of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Joan Burton and ministers Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin.
Minister Kelly and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Alex White were also present at today's meeting.
Speaking in Dublin this morning, Mr Kenny said he did not want to go into specific figures, but he was determined to make water charges as "low and affordable as possible".
Ms Burton said she was "very satisfied with the level of progress we've been making and continue to make" on water.
She said this was particularly so in relation to affordability, capping and certainty.
Mr Noonan said before the meeting that it was important people knew what they would be paying "not only for 2015 but for subsequent years".
Speaking in the Dáil this evening, the Tánaiste took issue with reports that the legislation to allow Irish Water to use PPS numbers was surreptitiously put into social welfare legislation.
Ms Burton said the Social Welfare and Pensions Act was the most appropriate vehicle to allow for the extension to allow Irish Water to use PPS numbers.
She said she indicated this in advance of the second stage debate and briefed the Opposition.
Council Chairman accused of misrepresentation
The chairman of Limerick City and County Council has been accused of misrepresenting the local authority after he marched in an anti-water charge demonstration.
Fianna Fáil councillor Kevin Sheahan was questioned about his involvement in the recent march at a special meeting of the local authority, which took place today to discuss the water charges.
A Sinn Féin motion, calling on the council to support the abolishment of water charges and to stop an further installation of water meters, was defeated at the meeting.
Fianna Fáil councillors abstained from the vote because the motion did not take account of people who already pay for water.
Several amendments that were tabled, including a call by Labour to keep ownership and control of water in the hands of the Irish people by way of referendum, were also defeated.
There was some heated debate when the Cathaoirleach Kevin Sheahan was criticised for sending out media notification about his intention to take part in an anti-water charges protest in Limerick from his council office.
Fine Gael councillor John Sheahan said the statement sent out from the office of the Cathaoirlech, accompanied by a photograph of him in ceremonial chains, "gave the impression he was marching on behalf of the council".
However, Mr Sheahan insisted that he emphasised during all media interviews that he was taking part in a personal capacity.
"At every interview I gave, I made it quiet clear that I did not march on behalf of Fianna Fáil. I did not march on behalf of this council. I marched on behalf of the people who elected me," Mr Sheahan insisted.
