The Tánaiste Joan Burton is putting her comments on protesters' mobile devices down to an interest in photography.

Ms Burton came under fire last week for commenting in the Dáil about the "expensive" phones, tablets and video cameras she had seen being used at water meter protests.

It provoked public outcry, particularly at the mass anti-water charge protests in Dublin city centre last weekend.

Today, the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection insisted she noticed because of her own personal interests.

She said: "I'm delighted to see people using phones and video cameras, I'm delighted people have them.

"I use them myself, I'm a keen photographer actually, that's why I was noticing what people had."