The former Minister of State with responsibility for establishing Irish Water has said questions from TDs on the set-up costs of the company should have been answered.

When TDs were told these questions were a matter for Irish Water, Fergus O'Dowd said he asked the Secretary General at the Department of Environment to apologise to the TDs.

The Fine Gael TD said he had always intended that these questions would have been answered by Irish Water directly.

If these questions were answered it would have prevented a lot of what has happened, he told the Dáil.

Meanwhile, the Dáil debate on the Water Services Bill 2014 has adjourned until Tuesday.

TDs were speaking on the Committee Stage of the Bill that will see people charged for water from April.

The Dáil has dealt with fewer than half of the 16 sections of the Bill. The debate will continue next week.

Earlier, Independent TD Róisín Shortall was removed from the Dáil during the debate.

She said that Opposition TDs thought Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly would "be in a position to answer basic questions" on Section 5 of the Bill.

Ms Shortall said it was a matter of "extreme regret" that the Ceann Comhairle came into the Dáil today and put the section to a vote.

Seán Barrett said the vote was over and the Dáil had moved on to Section 7. Ms Shortall accused him of "the intention to shut down debate".

Mr Barrett said she was "totally out of order" and when asked to resume her seat, Ms Shortall continued to speak, adding off microphone that it was a "charade".

The Ceann Comhairle said he "rejected allegations of a charade".

Earlier, Section 6 was passed by TDs.

It focuses on the prohibition on reduction of a supply to a dwelling, which means Irish Water shall be prohibited from either disconnecting or reducing the supply of water to a dwelling due to an unpaid bill.