Around 60 anti-water tax campaigners placed a picket on the water metering conference at Croke Park this morning (Tue 31 May). Such a large turnout at 8.30 am must have caused concern for the attending companies who view the government plan to charge for and meter water as an easy way for them to make a fast buck. It has been announced that 600 million euro is to be spent imposing the plan. It’s fast becoming clear that the introduction of water charges will face serious resistance and those attending must be aware that the previous attempt to impose a water tax was defeated by such mass resistance in the 1990’s.
Around 60 anti-water tax campaigners placed a picket on the water metering conference at Croke Park this morning (Tue 31 May). Such a large turnout at 8.30 am must have caused concern for the attending companies who view the government plan to charge for and meter water as an easy way for them to make a fast buck. It has been announced that 600 million euro is to be spent imposing the plan. It’s fast becoming clear that the introduction of water charges will face serious resistance and those attending must be aware that the previous attempt to impose a water tax was defeated by such mass resistance in the 1990’s.
The Conference in the Croke Park Conference Center was entitled ‘The Inaugural Water Metering Summit‘ and was a self-described event "designed for key industry decision-makers." It was sponsored by the German Hydrometer GmbH corporation but attended by "policy-makers, decision-makers & advisors in national government" as well as the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan. But if members of the public wanted to attend the event they would have had to pay 420 euro to find out what was being planned for them.
Minister Phil Hogan revealed at the conference that the plan is to start rolling out water metering next year. The Workers Solidarity Movement is committed to helping to build the No To Water Tax Campaign and continuing to advocate a common front against the government and the ECB/EC/IMF troika that are imposing this new regressive tax on the working class people of the Republic.
WORDS & IMAGES: Andrew Flood
More articles on the struggle agains the Water Tax (and the 1990’s victory)
Related reading: Looking back on the battle of the Bins & the Lessons Learnt – Interview