Noonan refuses to lift Revenue threat

Finance Minister Micheal Noonan has refused to lift the threat of setting Revenue Commissioners onto people taking part in a proposed mass boycott of water charges.

Mr Noonan left open the prospect of drafting in the tax authority despite conceding that its powers had never been used in such a way before.

“All options are being looked at. The Revenue have never in the past acted to collect outstanding debts. They are responsible for raising revenue,” Mr Noonan told the Dáil in response to Fianna Fáil concerns about the role of the commissioners in any move to try and head-off non-payment of the levy.