OPPOSITION to the imposition of water charges was notched up a gear in Limerick this week with various groups opposed to the charges undertaking to organise a city-wide campaign of resistance to the charges.
At a meeting organised by the the Anti Austerity Alliance’s ‘We Won’t Pay!’ campaign in the Clarion Hotel this Wednesday, locals opposed to the charges were addressed by speakers from the unions, local anti-metering groups and organisers of the non-payment campaign, that succeeded in getting water charges abolished in Limerick in the early nineties.
AAA councillor for City North, Cian Prendiville, is adamant that the introduction of water charges can be defeated again.
“Water charges have been beaten three times before: in Limerick, Waterford and in Dublin. We can do it again,” he declared.
“This is not like the property tax. Irish Water cannot touch your wages or welfare payments, nor can they disconnect your water supply. So mass non-payment will be a fact.
“We can’t simply refuse to pay as individuals. We need to organise as a mass non-payment campaign; stand together against government bullying and pile on the political pressure,” he said.
He believes that water charges are simply one more bill that people cannot afford and is hoping they will offer resistance to the charge, therefore making it “uncollectable”.
“Our calculations show the average family could be facing an annual bill next year of €500, with households of four adults facing over €900. This shows that, despite all their talk of ‘recovery’ the government have nothing to offer ordinary people other than more charges and cuts.
“In reality, this is nothing to do with conservation of water supplies, and everything to do with privatisation. They want to hand our water service over to private multinationals, and you can be guaranteed that if they get the charges in they will only go up and up,” he said.
“The number of calls we are receiving on this issue is unprecedented, people cannot understand how the government can add a further tax on top of the unjust Family Home Tax, Universal Social Charge, and VAT increases of recent years.
“There have been an increasing number of people objecting to the installation of water meters at a time when the water in many parts of our city is not safe to drink,” Cllr Quinlivan commented.
“Many are living on less than €10 a week after bills are paid, they cannot afford to pay €500 a year for water,” he said.
