Water charge protests begin to swell to a flood

Thousands of people are set to take to the streets across Ireland tomorrow in a series of water charges protests.

As the Government came under renewed pressure yesterday over Irish Water, protest groups in Cork, Tipperary, and Clare called for a huge turnout at the various rallies.

One of the largest is expected to take place in Cork City.

It is being organised by the We Won’t Pay campaign, which was initiated by the Anti-Austerity Alliance after a public meeting attended by some 500 people in the city last week.

They have called on people to refuse to pay the water charges, and said any concessions in the budget will be more than cancelled out by water charges.

Bins will be provided to allow people to dump their Irish Water application packs. The protest starts on Winthrop St at 2pm.

Irish Water application packs are also expected to be dumped or burned at a protest march in Clonmel at 12pm tomorrow, organised in association with the South Tipp Against Water Charges movement.

“They can bill you as much as they want but you don’t have to pay them,” a spokesman said.

In south-east Clare, residents are leading protests against the installation of water meters ahead of a march in Ennis tomorrow.

Subcontractors acting on behalf of Irish Water were prevented or delayed from installing water meters in Killaloe, Parteen, and Meelock in Co Clare, as well as a number of housing estates in the Westbury housing development in Limerick.

Maurice Walsh, who lives in Clarisford, Killaloe, said the installation work was halted after residents requested contracts and consent forms.

According to Irish Water, public consent or a signed contract is not required.

David Houlihan, who stood in front of a digger to prevent water meter installation in Parteen earlier this week, said that, with all but two of the 20 houses in the estate against water meters, the stand-off was good humoured and the contractors left the estate at 10am without installing any meters.

Contractors were also prevented from installing meters in up to four estates in Westbury.

“People are already paying for water through general taxation,” said Mr Houlihan. “We don’t need to pay again. Where has the €1bn that was being spent providing a public water supply gone? It is time for people to take a stand against austerity taxes.” .

The Clare Says No to Water Charges group is expecting a large crowd at its protest, which starts at 1pm tomorrow from the O’Connell Monument.

Spokesman Paul Whitmore, who attended the demonstration in Dublin last week, said anger against water charges is increasing.

“People who are opposed to water charges now realise they are not on their own,” said Mr Whitmore.