A TOTAL of 31 water charge cases had to be adjourned when one took up the whole afternoon in Swords District Court yesterday. Mr Donal Geraghty of Sonesta Estate, Malahide, had failed to pay water charges of £127.50, Judge Sean Delap was told.
Mr Alastair Rutherdale, a barrister, argued that Mr Geraghty's name had been taken, not from a sanitation authority database for the purpose, but from a commercial database, which he maintained was "hearsay".
He also argued that, since Mr and Mrs Geraghty lived on a pension of less than £10,000 a year, paying the water charges would cause hardship. Their £50,000 redundancy money was in a savings account and they would suffer a penalty if they took it out.
Judge Delap said the Act laid down the proofs necessary and he was satisfied that Fingal County Council was entitled to an order discontinuing Mr Geraghty's water supply, as well as £12.50 and costs of £100, but in view of the hardship element he would put a three month stay on the order.
Judge Delap adjourned the remaining 31 cases to June 11th.
Mr Joe Higgins, a Labour councillor, said afterwards that 12 council officials and two legal representatives spent the entire afternoon here to see one case dealt with. This shows that the implementation of this unjust tax is unworkable."