by Alan Jacques
THE Government’s “Trojan horse” concessions on water charges are indicative of the fact that they are “reeling in panic”, according to Limerick’s Anti Austerity Alliance councillors.
City North AAA councillor Cian Prendiville warned that water bills will be met by a major boycott and confirmed that this Saturday’s ‘No Means No’ protest at City Hall will still go ahead as planned.
According to Cllr Prendiville no concessions contained in the Government’s package would quell the movement against the water charges.
“In the last month the Government has been sent a clear message by the historic movement of ordinary people against water charges. They are now reeling in panic as they scramble to get a package,” Cllr Prendiville commented.
“They will cap the costs for four years and push the beginning of billing back until January. But these measures and the axing of bonuses at Irish Water miss the point of the protests, the essence of which was that people are opposed to water charges in any form. They know that these concessions are a Trojan Horse, and if the charges are introduced, they will rise and rise,” he predicts.
Cllr Prendiville went on to say that there is “no carrot big enough” to quell the anger of vast parts of the population for whom water charges are the last straw after six years of vicious austerity.
Meanwhile, City West AAA councillor, John Loftus, warned the Government that should it try to launch an attack on those who boycott the charge they will be met with an “unprecedented backlash of mass protests and political pressure”.
