A Government spokesperson has said an extension of the suspension of water charges will last until the end of the year.
Legislation providing for the recommendations of the all-party committee that looked at the future funding of water is due to be introduced in the autumn.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkarhas stated that almost everyone who paid their water charges will be refunded by the end of the year.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said earlier today that water charge payments will be refunded out of existing exchequer resources.
He said people cannot be worse off for abiding by the laws of the land.
He said that people who discharged their civic duties and paid their water charges cannot find themselves out of pocket while people who did not pay find themselves not having to pay.
He said the Taoiseach has made this position clear, and he supports it.
Yesterday, Mr Varadkar said that refunds will begin in the autumn and will be completed before the end of the year.
Last Sunday, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy said it was his responsibility to make sure people get their refunds of water charges.
He said he was in conversation with Irish Water on the process of getting that done.
The sum of money involved is around €170m and consists of water charges paid by householders before the charges were abandoned.
Close to one million customers of Irish Water paid, or partially paid, water charges before they were ended.
Earlier this year an Oireachtas committee decided to scrap charges and approve refunds.
The Dáil voted to accept the report of the Committee on the Future Funding of Water Services on 13 April.
The water charge regime was introduced under the previous Fine Gael/Labour coalition government.
