Eamon Gilmore's comments come amid mounting protests against the charge – with demonstrators blocking meter installations in Cork and Dublin.
The Government had pledged to set out the final charges before the Local and European elections next month.
But Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore says the coalition has a number of issues to overcome before the charge can be set:
Meanwhile,
A Government Minister has now denied calling the incoming water charge a 'tax' during a radio interview this morning.
Minister Richard Bruton has faced more questions on the back of his comments at a subsequent event in Athlone in County Westmeath.
He's insisting that he said 'it is always difficult to introduce any new tax or charge'.
