SPECIAL REPORT: What you need to know about the new water charges

U-turn won’t stem water protests - Organisers to continue with ‘mass boycott’ despite fee cuts

The public will not be dissuaded from mass protests against water levies, according to organisers and opposition TDs, despite the Government’s massive climbdown on the charges which will be significantly less than what was previously planned.

The Coalition is pinning its hopes on a range of measure announced yesterday to persuade most households to sign up for the deeply unpopular charge after months of controversy and a major U-turn that has left its authority significantly undermined.