Irish Water says it is investigating how ten tenants' bank account details were sent to their landlords.

It follows reports on thejournal.ie that ten tenants had sent their bank details to Irish Water to pay their bills by direct debit - only for the details to then be forwarded to landlords.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner said that Irish Water had "reported this matter to this Office under the Personal Data Security Breach Code of Practice and it was dealt with as a data security breach."

The spokesperson added that their requirements - including notifying the individuals affected and putting in place procedures to prevent a repeat - had been addressed and the office had concluded its investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the Tánaiste has reassured TDs that Irish Water cannot use people's PPS number for anything that is not set down in law.

Fears have been expressed that the new utility is collecting the numbers, which they say is to ensure allowances are allocated correctly.

But some have questioned what would happen to the information if Irish Water is privatised.

Joan Burton has told the Dáil that the law ensures limited use of people's social security numbers: