Refuse charge protestors rubbish ‘mob’ accusation

THE ORGANISERS of a protest over service charges have denied they acted like a “mob” on Tuesday night.

Furious town councillors in Tramore in county Waterford believe that a protest outside the chamber on Tuesday night and the storming of the monthly meeting were politically motivated.

The claim has infuriated those behind the anti-service charge campaign who say that politicians are merely trying to deflect attention away from the real issue - that the service charges are a form of double taxation.

Councillor Ben Gavin was highly critical yesterday of the manner in which a group protesting against refuse charges stormed the meeting and forced the town council to abandon the meeting.

“That council chamber was not a nice place to be on Tuesday night,” Cllr Gavin said yesterday.

“I do believe that the protest was politically motivated. I did hear of ten or 12 people going around in the weekend before the protest, trying to muster up support,” he added in an interview with Billy McCarthy on yesterday morning’s Deise AM programme on WLR FM.

Waterford County Council adopted a €150 per annum flat charge for refuse services last month when the manager struck the rate, after councillors refused to adopt the charge.

“I don’t think the €150 reflects the cost of the service. It is merely a charge which was brought in to balance the budget,” he said.

He said there are rules and regulations for deputations and some chose to instead storm the meeting. “There was no rule and no order about the thing,” he said.

Labour Councillor Paddy O’Callaghan, also said he felt intimidated by what happened on Tuesday night. “Everyone is entitled to do things within the rules of law. They could have made their protest in the normal way. I’m on the Town Council since 1993 and it’s the first time I’ve seen the meeting suspended in this way.

Eddie Walsh, one of the men behind the campaign, said the protest was in no way politically motivated. “The claims made on radio this morning are totally untrue. There were two people from Sinn Féin with us and one from another party.

“But there were up to 120 people with us on Tuesday night. I’m totally devastated by this claim. I’m also distressed by claims we acted like a mob.

“We were let into the chamber and we were let speak. People’s voices were heard.

“The council then took a vote to suspend the meeting. Had they asked us to leave, we would have and would have let them continue with their meeting.”