Former Junior Environment minister Fergus O'Dowd has told Newstalk that he warned the government of the dangers of not winning the battle for hearts and minds over Irish Water, but was not listened to.

O’Dowd told The Right Hook that the battle for the hearts and minds of Irish people over water charges has been lost, but not irrevocably.

Responding to the claims of the former Environment Minister Phil Hogan, O'Dowd's insisted he had tried to raise concerns about the way Irish Water was set up and how it was handled at the outset, as he understood the level of opposition from the public at the outset as a key issue to deal with correctly.

“It was a battle for the hearts and minds for the people of Ireland and it had to be made at a very high level, it had to be made at all levels.”

“I said it to everybody ... I knew.

“I’ve been involved a lot with people on the ground, I know how they feel about this issue...and I knew how we had to get through to them”

O’Dowd says he “Certainly wasn’t listened to.”

Earlier today, speaking on Newstalk Lunchtime, Former Environment Minister Phil Hogan had said O’Dowd, his Junior Minister, had been fully briefed on all issues of concern and, contrary to O'Dowd's claims, was listened to.

O’Dowd rejected this on Friday’s Right Hook, saying, “I absolutely did (raise the issue of communications) and Phil in his usual way ... what I’m telling you is – this was the key issue for me, was communications, I expressed it at all time.”

Discussing the positives to arise from Irish Water, O’Dowd said if he “had to have been listened to people would understand” about the good the company has done.

“There’s a huge agenda of positive good news out there, which nobody imparted,” Mr O’Dowd said.

However, Mr O'Dowd said it's not too late to make fundamental changes in Irish Water.

“Clearly at this moment in time the battle has been lost. But as I said, and I repeat again now, is that we have time to start again, we have time as I say to press the reset button on your computer.

“There has to be fundamental change, obviously, in Irish Water,” Mr O’Dowd said.

Listen to the full interview with Fergus O’Dowd