Anti-tax drive seeks to recreate 1990s campaign

A SERIES of
meetings taking place across the Northside this week is hoping to build public
support for a nationwide campaign against the Government’s planned water
charges and household tax.

Organisers say
the meetings, which are being replicated in communities across the country, are
the first step in establishing a mass movement of non-payment of the charges.

Dublin North TD
Clare Daly (SP), who will be addressing a number of the meetings, encouraged
locals to play an active role in the campaign.

“Residents in
north county Dublin have a track record of resisting unfair local taxes, going
back to the time of the victorious campaign against the water charges in the
1990s,

? she told Northside People.

Deputy Daly was
the North Fingal co-ordinator of the Federation of Dublin Anti-Water Charges
between 1994 and 1996, which successfully forced the abolition of water charges
at that time.

The Government
is to install water meters next year, with charges payable by 2014. The annual
household levy of

?¬100 will be imposed on all homes from January 1, 2012.

However, Deputy
Daly fears that it’s only a matter of time before both these taxes are hiked
up.

The Department
of the Environment recently told Northside People that the Memorandum of
Understanding with the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) commits Ireland
to undertaking an independent assessment of the establishment of a water
utility with a view to commencing charges in 2012 and 2013.

“The Programme
for Government proposes the installation of water meters in households and the
introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance,

? it said.

Meetings
organised by the Forum of the Campaign Against the Household and Water Taxes
took place in Lusk and Skerries last week, while more are planned for this week
in Malahide, Rush and Balbriggan, and one in Swords on October 10.