The Mayor of Galway tonight launched a stinging attack on Minister for the Environment Dick Roche over his claim to have earmarked more than €1 million for the city's ongoing water crisis.
Niall O'Brolchain accused the minister of playing politics with residents who have been without clean water for more than a month after an announcement of emergency financial aid.
Mr Roche issued a statement claiming an additional €1.1 million package was being pumped into Galway, but its mayor claimed the cash was already allocated to the area.
The Green Party's Mr O'Brolchain said the cash had nothing to do with boosting efforts to tackle the outbreak of cryptosporidium which has struck down almost 200 people.
"I would go so far as to say this is a cynical attempt by Dick Roche to pull the wool over people's eyes. It's actually making me angry," said Mr O'Brolchain.
"He is painting this as something new going to help Galway. This funding was going to be allocated anyway. "It's the standard water allocations to local authorities. It is something that was obviously in the pipeline anyway," he added.
Mr O'Brolchain pointed out that Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford are all to get more than Galway's €1.1million under the scheme.
"It seems very strange, saying we are facing a major crisis, that we are getting by far the least of any city," he said. "It doesn't look like he is giving anything extra to Galway."
But Minister Roche said he was giving the money to Galway City and County Councils to help offset the additional costs of dealing with the contamination which is threatening businesses.
"When I met the Galway local authorities on 30 March, I promised them additional financial help to deal with their current difficulties", the minister said in the statement.
"And I am delivering on that promise," he added. Mr Roche said the €825,000 for Galway City and €356,000 for Galway County Council would be a significant boost to efforts to cope with the pollution scare.
Cork City Council is getting €1,067,500, Cork County €764,00, Dublin City €2,092,500, Limerick City €1,974,500 (for main drainage) and Waterford County is getting €1,521,00.