Workers Solidarity Movement

About 25 members of the Dun Laoghaire area Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes (CAHWT), joined by some friends from the Bray campaign, held a lively protest in the rain outside Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council's monthly meeting on Monday night (10th September). 

The protest was held to show opposition to the Council and government’s proposed cuts to services, which is being blamed on non-payment levels of the household tax.  The Council was discussing further cuts to local services of €1.3 million.  This comes on top of a 9% cut already voted through by the Fine Gael/Labour – led Council in 2011 and 2012

Far from being the fault of people making a principled stance against an unjust tax, however, these proposed cuts are a direct result of the €170 million cuts to Council budgets announced nationally in the budget last year.  This money has been taken out of the budget for much needed services and used to pay off the gambling debts of international financiers. 

This point was clearly made in one of the slogans which Councillors in their meeting could hear being shouted “IMF Get Them Out.  We know what they’re all about. Cuts, Job Losses, Money for the bosses”.

Protestors also demonstrated their opposition to the proposed introduction of a property tax from next year and pledged to continue to build the Campaign in the greater Dun Laoghaire area over coming months.

Despite the fact that the Dun Laoghaire area has one of the higher rates of registration for the household tax, the Campaign is confident that as the property tax is introduced next year, many people who reluctantly registered for the household tax this year will join the boycott.

Over coming weeks and months Dun Laoghaire CAHWT will be stepping up its door-to-door activity, signing up new members for the Campaign and encouraging residents to get actively involved in opposing this unjust tax.

WORDS: Gregor Kerr