“Gormley’s Water Charges Would Cost Each Family €800″
Environment Minister John Gormley stated in Dublin Castle yesterday that domestic water charges should be reintroduced. He indicated that the Commission for Taxation would be the mechanism whereby this would be brought about.
Water charges protest in northern ireland
According to Fianna Fail Minister Mary Hanafin the cost to each household would now be €700 or €800 per annum:
“If we had domestic water rates in Ireland, families would be paying €700 or €800 per annum,” - Minister Mary Hanafin quoted directly in the Irish Times, Friday, 12 December 2007.
The reintroduction of water charges as a new tax rather than paying them from general taxation as at present, would be an intolerable new burden on low and middle income households. Water charges were abolished in December 1996 after a three year intensive campaign of boycott by compliant taxpayers in three Dublin Local Authorities. As the then Chairman of the Federation of Dublin Anti Water Chargers Campaign which spearheaded that campaign, I can warn Minister Gormley that any proposal to reinstate a water tax will again be vigoroulsly resisted.
I call on Minister Gormley and the Government to honestly state their intentions with regard to water charges in the next week so that we can fully debate the issue in the course of the Local and Euro Elections to take place on June5th.
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