Update: The figures were released tonight.

ENDA KENNY HAS said Irish Water will tomorrow make public the number of people who have paid their water bills.

During another head-to-head on the issue with Paul Murphy in the Dáil today, Kenny said: “I understand that Irish Water will provide that information for everybody tomorrow.”

It was one of the shortest and most direct answers in Leaders’ Questions we’ve ever seen.

Murphy seemed a bit surprised.

He has tried to find out how many people have paid water charges on several occasions.

During a previous Dáil discussion on the issue, Kenny told Murphy he wasn’t there to “spoonfeed” him and he should “toddle along” to the AV room in Leinster House later that day where Irish Water representatives would be available to answer his questions.

When raising the issue today, the Anti-Austerity Alliance TD told Kenny: “Myself and Deputy Coppinger duly toddled along to the AV room to Irish Water where we asked the questions” – to no avail.

Murphy noted that he had also unsuccessfully tried to get payment figures via a Freedom of Information request and through the Department of the Environment, saying: “It’s quite a saga in order to get very simple information.”

What, Taoiseach, are you hiding? What is Irish Water hiding?

Murphy accused the government and Irish Water of failing to release the figures because of “a very low level of payment”, noting that 30% of households still haven’t registered despite being offered the water conservation grant or “€100 stolen from lone parents”.

Kenny said that when the figures are released tomorrow Murphy will “have to opportunity to comment again if you wish to”.