‘Says No’ groups in Cork to continue water charge protests

Anti-water charge campaigners on the south side of Cork city have vowed to continue their protests, despite the report of an expert commission saying the “vast majority” of people would not have to pay charges under its proposals.

The report of the Expert Commission on Domestic Public Water Services, set up by the Government, is to be considered by an Oireachtas committee which will have three months to make a proposal to the Dáil for a vote.

Lars O’Tuama, of the Mahon Says No campaign in Cork, said the group’s protest was far from over.

“The problem here is that they want to privatise all our resources and all State services. And that is the issue here. It is not just Irish Water. If Irish Water is defeated, there is always going to be a threat of them coming back.

“All we can do is focus on our community and people are saying they won’t pay an [excessive usage bill] no matter what.”

Public mood

Mr O’Tuama, a UCC nursing student with a young family who has campaigned against water charges for the last two years, said this was the third or fourth “rigmarole” in what he perceived to be the long-running farce of Irish Water.

“There is always this sense of ‘Is the Irish water movement over?’ But if you talk to people on the street, it is not. People won’t settle for anything less than full abolition. We pay for water already in our taxation and with VAT.

“If you look back at the funds allocated for water in the past 20 years – where has that gone? They are saying we need to invest in the service. We are not disputing that. But where did the funds go?”

The Mahon Says No campaign was set up in December 2014 and the core group consists of a dozen people.

Group members say pro-water charge politicians were shocked when communities mobilised themselves against the establishment.

Mr O’Tuama, and fellow member Jonathan Dunne, said politicians had to abandon, or at least row back on their positions arising out of the public mood.

Mr Dunne said contractors recently tried to install water metres in Mahon. He said he was heartened when members of the community stepped in and prevented the installation and only informed the group afterwards.

“People came out and stopped them without any influence from our group. So what that shows is that people are still aware in the community and still willing to jump out and fight for this cause.”

Political failure

Mr Dunne said politicians were slow to gauge the mood of the public on the issue with the opposition of water charges “coming from the bottom up.”

Keith O’Brien, of the Ballyphehane/South Parish Says No to Water Charges group in Cork, said it would also continue its campaign.

Sinn Féin representatives in Cork have also continued to express their opposition to water charges.

Mahon-based councillor Chris O’Leary, who during his term as Lord Mayor of Cork accepted a petition from anti-water charge campaigners, said the protest was “a people’s movement” involving individuals from all walks of life.

Cllr O’Leary said the Irish Water issue was a massive political failure.

“The money was spent on meters when they should have been repairing pipes. The Government got it wrong. Councils failed to take responsibility. It was a massive opportunity to invest in and create jobs. In council meetings, from 2002, I often brought up the issue of rewarding people for conserving water and I was laughed at.”