Household tax the first step to property and water taxes

The Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes has claimed that
Government plans to introduce water taxes by 2014 mean that ordinary
households will be hit with stealth taxes of 1000+ euro within two
years when the combined cost of water tax and property tax are taken
into account.

The Campaign challenged Minister Hogan’s contention that water
metering and water taxes would create 1000s of new jobs and argued
that the opposite is the case. Cllr Mick Barry, an activist with the
Campaign said, “water taxes would take money out of people’s pockets
and further deflate the economy costing jobs. Jobs should be created
instead by a state-funded investment plan to improve the water
distribution network and minimise leaks which is up to 40%
nationally.”

The Campaign warned that taking control of water supply from the hands
of local authorities and centralising control of water services in the
hands of a new utility, Irish Water, was a step in the direction of
privatisation of water services. Charging for water would make water
supply potentially lucrative and multinational corporations would bang
hard on the door to gain control of this service. The Campaign
claimed that Minister Hogan’s comments on Newstalk that he “wants to
attract private investment into the equation” was a sure sign that the
Government are planning to go down this road.

Mr Barry continued, “the Campaign is calling on members of the public
to refuse to register for the new household tax given that
registration was necessary to give the state the information necessary
for a database to levy property and water taxes.

“The Campaign is encouraging communities to organise “people power”
gatherings aimed at preventing the installation of water meters at
peoples’ homes when the programme is rolled out in the autumn.

For further information and comment

Cllr Mick Barry – 087 2400331
Ruth Coppinger – 087 6730187
Gregor Kerr – 086 1501151
John Lyons – 087 7729292