Anti-household tax group barred from community centre

A row has broken out in a Cork harbour town after an anti-household charge group was told it was no longer allowed to hold meetings in their local community centre.

The Cobh branch of the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes has held several meetings in the centre since last December.

However, centre’s directors have told the group it is no longer welcome.

Chairman Don Stockley said: “The board of directors of Cobh (Great Island) Community Centre consists of volunteers and cannot jeopardise government funding for the centre by allowing meetings to take place where people will be encouraged to break the law.”

Alan Gibson, secretary of the Cobh branch of the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes, said most people attending the meetings were non-political, but some were members of political parties. “This is a blow for democracy. I think it’s a convenient excuse and I believe political pressure has been put on them.”

Meanwhile, Cobh town councillors have passed a motion against collection of the household charge by town council staff, or prosecution of non-payers.

Sinn Féin councillor Kieran McCarthy, who proposed the motion, said no action should be taken against householders for non payment of the household charge, until its legal standing within the Constitution has been clearly established.

He said doing so might place the town council’s employees in an unsafe working environment, by asking or instructing them in any way to collect or issue notices relating to the household charge.

“Even councillors from the government parties voted for the motion which can only be the result of them being conscious that the charge is deeply unpopular even among their electoral base.”

He also criticised the decision by the community centre’s board of directors.

“There was no justification for the director’s decision. This was a non-political group which was made of individuals from different parties and none, attended by people who had paid the charge but still felt it was unjust. They were law-abiding peaceful meetings, and we always paid our way for the use of the hall. This was political interference at its worst.”