Government just scaremongering on water charge deductions

Anti-water campaigners are urging people to continue to boycott water charges, despite threats by the Government that it will seek to deduct the charges directly from people’s wages and payments.
At a press conference outside Irish Water’s head office recently, the Anti-Austerity Alliance launched a new campaign poster to counter what it said was “the Government’s scaremongering” on deductions at source which it said could not be done without court appearances.
Deputy Paul Murphy said: “The Government and Irish Water are engaged in cynical scare mongering with talk of deductions at source which they cannot do. The key point is that they cannot get an attachment of earnings order without taking court cases. Our message to people is clear – they cannot deduct water charges, there is nothing to fear in the proposed legislation, they should continue the boycott because they cannot bring everyone to court.”
Deputy Ruth Coppinger launched the new poster saying “The Government are walking themselves into another Irish Water mess with the proposed legislation. The significance of what they are proposing seems to have been missed by Irish Water and some in the media – they are talking about attachment orders but they have to bring people to court to get an attachment order. How many people can they bring?
“In the 1980s and 90s in previous water battles they tried the same tactic – it did not break the boycott campaign and the charges were defeated. Each court case invigorated the campaign and became points of protest, resulting in the court system being blocked up and the charges being defeated. The Government’s big stick isn’t so big.
“The last poll showed 1 in 3 people intending not to pay, and we think that the figure will rise, that means that they have to potentially bring 500,000 or more people to court. The courts will grind to a halt.
“We will be using the new poster to get the message out and organise street meetings in communities to give people the facts that the Government’s last throw of the dice has failed and to continue the boycott. There are no penalties for the first year of non-payment, they can’t cut your water off or jail you, or deduct it at source. There will be a General Election before then and if the mass boycott is in place any future Government will be under massive pressure to abolish the charges.”