The Sinn Féin leader has described the €100 water conservation grant as an "accountancy scam".

Gerry Adams says the payment is a case of the public being bribed with their own money and the grant "has little to do with conservation".

Today marks the first day of payments of the grant, to more than 156,000 people who are receiving it electronically.

Gerry Adams says the payment shouldn't be taken as a sign that people are now in favour of the water charges regime

“I’m sure that many households will be pealed this morning to get the conservation grant, and wouldn’t they?,” he said while speaking to the press outside Leinster House today.

“But really the conservation rant has nothing to do with conservation; it was part of a little accountancy scam that keeps all these matters off the government books and also to try and persuade people to register,” he added.

This morning the Newstalk Breakfast team got a text from one listener informing them that they had woken up to discover an extra €100 in their bank account.

Across Ireland people woke up to payments dropping into their accounts, as the much maligned and debated Irish Water conservation grant was finally here - equally for those who pay their bill, and for those who don't.

The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that they paid the first of the grants this morning.

Payments commenced today, with the Department telling Newstalk they have made payments to 156,249 householders who requested payment by electronic bank transfer into an Irish bank account.

At €100 per grant, the total payment this morning will be €15,624,900.

All of those who had registered with Irish Water by the end of June 2015 are eligible for the conservation grant, with the Department saying that Irish Water have informed them 1,299,250 households are eligible to apply.

Since mid-August the Department has delivered 1,040,00 letters inviting people to apply for the grant. So far they have received 262,500 applications for the grant.

The grant is available to all who register with Irish Water, regardless of if they pay their bill or not.

Reports on Monday said that 51% of people had now paid their second Irish Water bill. These figures have been disputed by several campaigners opposed to the charge.

Applications for the grant can be made up until the 8th of October.