Meter installers punched and headbutted says Irish Water

Details of attacks on contractors installing meters on behalf of Irish Water, including physical assaults, have been sent by the company to Dublin City Council.

The council wrote to managing director of Irish Water John Tierney in October to raise concern about what it described as "excessive mobilisation of gardaí" during meter installations.

The letter followed the adoption of a motion by councillors supporting “peaceful resistance to water meter installation” and condemning the arrest and forcible removal of protesters by gardaí and the mobilisation of the Garda public order unit in housing estates in north Dublin.

In response to the letter, the company has detailed attacks it says have been made on meter installers and their property.

Workers have been punched and headbutted, the letter said.

“They have received death threats and threats to burn their houses down and have been called ‘scabs’, ‘scum’ and ‘paedophiles’.”

They have been followed home and they, and their families, have been subject to ongoing “surveillance” outside their homes, the letter added.

The council further claimed some have been intimidated and harassed using social media.

Blocked for hours

Cars and vans transporting workers have been blocked for hours at a time and have been damaged.

Tyres have been slashed and other equipment has been vandalised and barriers and signs burned.

These activities were in addition to protesters disrupting the work of installers though blocking entry to estates parking cars over stop cocks and standing or lying down in the work site or in front of diggers, the letter said.

The letter acknowledges that many protesters do so in a peaceful manner.

“Irish Water respects the right to protest and endeavours to facilitate this right in so far as is reasonably possible, while maintaining the safety of the staff, the public and the site of work,” it said.

The letter is signed by Fergus Collins, head of capital delivery with Irish Water, rather than by former city manager Mr Tierney.

Separately, gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding a letter containing excrement which was posted to a call centre contracted to deal with Irish Water queries last week.

The Cork-based company Abtran, which employs 1,500 people, confirmed that "offensive material" had been received and Garda have been informed.

The incident is an isolated one, according to Abtran, which has assigned some 400 staff to deal with the Irish Water brief.

Last week a 59-year-old man was arrested in Clarecastle, Co Clare, following reports he had threatened water meter installers with a rifle.

He was released without charge.