The Dáil has voted to establish a committee that will look at the future funding of water services.
Ninety-three TDs voted in favour of the move with 38 against.
The committee of 16 TDs and four senators will next week receive the report of the expert commission on water.
It will then begin work and there will be a Dáil vote on the committee's recommendation on the future of water charges not later than the end of March 2017.
Earlier there had been a brief suspension of the Dáil after a row over the decision by Government and Fianna Fáil to choose the chairperson of the committee in advance of it being established.
The Government Chief Whip defended the handling of the establishment of the Oireachtas committee that will look at water charges.
Regina Doherty accused the AAA-People Before Profit of not knowing what correct procedure was after they had accused her of "pulling a sly one".
"This is an attempt ... to pull a really, really sly one on the issue of the water charges committee" - The Dáil was suspended afterwards pic.twitter.com/aVjfpvFKnR
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 24, 2016
She demanded that those comments be withdrawn from the Dáil record and the row led to the Dáil being suspended for more than ten minutes.
Sinn Féin also accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of a "stitch up" over the selection of Independent Pádraig Ó Céidigh as chair of the committee.
The is a break from the usual procedure in this new Dáil where a committee has typically picked its own chair. The Dáil is set to vote to set up the committee.
During the row over the appointment of Mr Ó Céidigh, AAA/PBP's Mick Barry said: "Let's be quite clear on what is going on here ... this is an attempt on the part of the Government with the support of people on the Fianna Fáil benches to pull a really, really sly one on the issue of the water charges committee".
He said that the point is that a committee was established for housing and homelessness and the chair was not appointed by the Government after a backroom conference with Fianna Fáil.
"What is being proposed is that the Government will pick the chairperson of the committee."
Angry exchanges continued between Mr Barry and Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl and when Mr Barry would not resume his seat, the Ceann Comhairle temporarily suspended the House.
A Sinn Féin motion that would have seen the special Oireachtas Water Charges Committee pick its own chairperson was defeated by the Government with the support of Fianna Fáil.
The vote was 39 in favour and 92 against.
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