Revenue could be deployed to target water charge boycotters, warns Kelly

Revenue could be brought in to target a mass boycott of water charges, Environment Minister Alan Kelly has signalled.

The minister refused to rule out ordering the tax authorities to take action, despite the fact that the water levy is a service charge, as campaigners threatened a nationwide show of civil disobedience by ignoring the first bills when they land at the end of January.

Speaking as he toured a waste water processing plant in Ringsend, Dublin, intended to highlight the need for modernisation of the supply network, Mr Kelly insisted non-payers would not be able to escape the charges.