Taoiseach launches attack on bin tax protestors

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has launched an attack on opponents of the controversial bin tax in Dublin, saying they have no right to take the law into their own hands.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Ahern sharply criticised the ongoing campaign to have the tax abolished and insisted it only had the support of a small minority.

Fifteen bin tax protestors have already been jailed for refusing to obey a High Court injunction outlawing the obstruction of refuse collection services in the capital.

Opponents of the bin tax have been blockading bin lorries since the local authorities began implementing new laws allowing them to refuse to collect rubbish from households that have not paid waste charges.

The new laws were introduced by the Government after the High Court ruled last year that the councils were obliged to collect all rubbish, regardless of whether it had been paid for or not.