Protests to continue until water charges are abolished

Plans to hold a protest to abolish water charges outside the Dáil in December will go ahead despite the Government’s new package plan announced this week.

Right 2 Water campaign spokesman David Gibney, who are organising the demonstration, said the new water charges package was a “kick in the teeth” for people who protested on the streets in recent months.

The new water charges package included that single adult households would pay €60 charge and all other households up to €160, the capped rates would apply until 2018 and PPS numbers would no longer be required for registration.

Mr Gibney said “nothing had changed” for the protest planned outside the Dáil on December 10th.

“We’re expecting more people to turn out because the announcement is showing the Government is clearly not listening,” he said.

“Nobody marched for more clarity or affordability, people marched to get rid of water charges, it’s that simple.”

Minister for Environment Alan Kelly confirmed today (Thursday) the Government would not be making further concessions on water charges.

Mr Kelly said future protests would not cause any changes to the current water package.

He said without the previous protests, the water charges issues would have “probably been revised anyway”.

Mr Gibney said he disagreed with the Minister’s comment and it was “people power” that forced the Government to abandon a number of key elements of its water policy.

This included reducing the charges significantly and PPS numbers no longer required for registration.

Mr Gibney said previous planned protests had been peaceful and he was confident the December protest would also be a peaceful and family-friendly event.

"Jobstown and water balloon incident with Joan Burton, it's not acceptable, but we need to look at the context of these actions. These are working class communities who have put up with an awful lot," he said.

Mr Gibney said the campaign was confident the water charges would be defeated.

“People are terrified of these water charges coming down the line and won’t put up with it,” he said.

Socialist Party TD Paul Murphy told RTE radio the public would not be fooled by the new water charges package.

“What we have is a temporary discount, an attempt to lure people into a sense of false security,” he said.

Mr Murphy said water charges would be the dominant issue in the next election.

“[PEOPLE] are not going to be fooled by something that is purely temporary and will open the way to the commodification of water, massive charges and privatisation in the future,” he said.

“What the Government have not factored in is that people are not afraid of [IT]. They are increasingly aware the Government is afraid of them.”

“They understand that what we have is a regressive home tax for four years, where a multi-millionaire household will pay the same as a house on social welfare.”