Water protesters’ fury at Burton’s ‘Hollywood’ remark over phones

Labour leader Joan Burton has drawn an angry response after saying water charge protesters put Hollywood “in the ha’penny place”. 

The Tánaiste has accused those involved in campaigns against the charge of double standards by having “extremely expensive phones, tablets and video cameras” and said “the core part of the campaign is to video every single second”.

As protests grew in Cork, Dublin, and Limerick, Ms Burton told the Dáil families were being “intimidated” by people “taking over their estates and deciding what their attitude to Irish Water should be”.

She said the protests were the subject of “the most extensive filming I have ever seen”, adding: “Hollywood would be in the ha’penny place by comparison.”

She said: “All the material from the protests, particularly anything that looks controversial, is immediately posted on Facebook.”

Her comments drew an angry backlash on social media, while Independent TD John Halligan said they were “totally pathetic”.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the remarks showed “utter contempt” for people concerned at paying water bills.

“The whole country have mobile phones now,” he said. “It doesn’t make you wealthy.”

Ms Burton made the remarks during tetchy Dáil exchanges with People Before Profit TD Joan Collins, who accused the Government of “political policing” by sending gardaí to protests where a number of arrests have been made.

“People have been manhandled, pushed, pulled, and shoved, in an aggressive manner in some cases,” she said.

She rejected what she called “the big Sinn Féin lie” that households who could not afford to pay would have supplies cut off.

“Nobody’s water supply is going to be cut off because the law does not allow Irish Water to cut off people’s water,” she said.