Taxpayers urged to boycott water bills

Households have been urged to mount a mass boycott of water charges as Taoiseach Enda Kenny advised families on ways to try and keep bill costs down.

Following encouraging economic growth figures yesterday, there were also calls to scrap the charges.

TDs vowed to lead a campaign against paying the new bills.

Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger warned charges for drinking and waste water would be the “most savage austerity bill” that households will yet face.

The comments came as the Government refused to cave in to demands for a full discount for all water going into homes in areas where boil notices are in force.

Ms Coppinger said that a Dublin study showed that homes could end up paying €380 for two adults as opposed to €278 predicted by the energy regulator.

A household of four adults could be hit with an annual bill of €908, she added.

“This will be the most savage austerity bill households will face. The message of the Socialist Party and the Anti-Austerity Alliance, of which we are part, is simple: people should not pay.”

The Dublin West TD said Revenue were not involved in the charge and that bills could not be deducted from people’s wages or incomes.

“The Government seriously underestimates the levels of hatred and poverty.”

The non-payment of charges would dominate the party’s campaign for the Dublin South-West by-election, it was added.

Independent TD Clare Daly warned that the Government in Bolivia had been toppled there when it tried to introduce water charges.

During a debate on water charges in the Dáil, several Fine Gael TDs attacked Fianna Fáil for failing to address concerns about water quality when in power.

The party’s environment spokesman Brian Cowen said the coalition parties should have supported his bill to grant homes a full discount if their water is dirty.

The energy regulator has proposed that the waste water elements of the new bills will be discounted in full if areas have boil notices in place for at least three months. A final decision on charges, discounts and allowances for households will be revealed next week by the regulator.

Meanwhile, Mr Kenny yesterday said people underestimated the numerous ways they could save water: “People are in control here because you can turn off the tap. From simple things like washing teeth, like all of the other things that happen, it is possible to save and conserve huge amounts of water.”

Sinn Féin last night said the new economic growth figures of 4.5% this year meant the charge should now be dropped.

Party finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said: “A commitment should now be given that water charges will not be introduced.

“The Government cannot talk of a neutral budget if it is planning to charge people hundreds of euro on another austerity tax.”