Protester dug up meter and posted it to Irish Water

A water charges protester who dug up a water meter on the pavement outside his home and sent it to Irish Water with an invoice, has claimed before the High Court the plastic cover installed over the meter was unsafe.

Irish Water denies the claims and its counsel Cian Ferriter argued Dermot Murphy was seeking to use the court “as a platform for his political views” and campaign against Irish Water.

Mr Murphy, Lakeview, Mullingar, is seeking orders against the company requiring it to replace the plastic covers of which, the court heard, 600,000 have been installed.