Groups opposed to water charges have been welcoming reports that just 46 per cent of households have paid their water bills.

According to The Irish Times the utility collected €30.5m for the first three months of this year.

That figure is less than half what Irish Water expected to receive.

Full details of payments are to be published by Irish Water today.

Anti-austerity alliance TD Paul Murphy says it's clear their boycott is working and the figures are an 'unmitigated disaster' for the utility:

Joe Higgins TD said, "the anger against the water charges and austerity is clear by the sheer scale of this boycott. It is important now that we maintain the boycott until the General Election so that it is the key issue."

Deputy Murphy told Newstalk last month that water charge protesters are on the verge of a 'big victory', amid estimates that 30% of households had failed to register with the utility.

Meanwhile the Right2Water campaign has announced plans for another national demonstration against water charges on the 29th of August.

“It’s very clear this government believes the water charges issue has gone away," the group said in a statement. "We’re saying very firmly that it hasn’t and this will be the biggest issue when it comes to the next general election.

“Right2Water promised when it was launched it would finish the job and remove water charges from the statute books. We have done so much already but we have much more to do. In the coming months we will fulfil our promise," they add.