Household tax opponents rally support
Opponents of the household charge are escalating their campaign to discourage people from paying as the deadline approaches.
With six weeks to go before householders who fail to meet the €100 charge risk of hefty fines, the Department of the Environment is posting leaflets to the country’s 1.6 million households advising them how to comply.
In response, the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes yesterday began distributing their own leaflets arguing why householders should refuse to co-operate.
More than 800 people attended a Waterford meeting last week where a GP, Dr David James, said he was attending on behalf of ill people who could not afford to pay the tax. He told the meeting he had met people who were suicidal because of their financial circumstances and people who could not afford to pay their mortgages and other bills and that the household charge was causing serious worry.
Waterford Independent TD John Halligan said he believed there would not even be 50% compliance in Waterford.
Socialist Councillor Ruth Coppinger said the low number of payments was an indication that householders were taking a stand against the charge.
“Even if 100,000 people were to pay each week up to the deadline, that would still leave about a million who haven’t paid,” she said. “We’d be saying to anyone who’s worried about not paying that there will be a million people standing beside you.”
Almost 100,000 households have paid the charge so far, but the Department of the Environment said it was not concerned by the pace of compliance.
“Our leaflets will be in every household within the next two weeks, the deadline for registering for direct debit installment payment is not until Feb 29 and there’s another month after that for people who want to pay the amount in full so there is plenty of time,” said a department spokesman
Public meetings to rally support for the campaign of opposition were scheduled in Cavan, Macroom, Blanchardstown, Kilkenny and Aughrim last night and in Mallow, Douglas, Letterfrack, Thomastown, Adare, Athlone, Mullingar and Avoca tonight.
A national day of protest is to take place on Saturday Feb 25, when rallies and marches will be held around the country.
