A Donegal County Councillor says he fully supports anyone who tries to stop Irish Water engineers from installing water meters in the county.

Water charges come into effect today although meter installation will only start in Donegal during the coming week.

A public meeting on the issue is taking place in Letterkenny tomorrow.

Independent Councillor Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says he would not discourage people from vandalising meters once they are installed.

He said: "At the end of the day sometimes you need to destroy something to protect something.

"If people believe that to go out and destroy or vandalise water meters that have been installed at the end of their roads to protect their water, and not to go into the hands of multi-national companies eventually, absolutely I would not be condemning anybody of anything, I'd be supporting it."