Shatter criticises ‘thuggery’ of protesters trapping him in car

Former minister for justice Alan Shatter was trapped in his car for up to 15 minutes on Wednesday afternoon by anti water charges demonstrators as he attempted to enter Leinster House.

Anti-water charge groups were gathering outside the Dáil ahead of a demonstration scheduled for 6pm on Wednesday evening.

A number of gardaí were also gathered outside the Dáil at the time.

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Former minister for justice Alan Shatter’s car is blocked from entering the gates of Leinster House by protesters on July 1st, 2015. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Mr Shatter criticised protesters who surrounded his car and said they were banging and kicking the car and shouting abuse.

Speaking to The Irish Times, the Fine Gael TD said he would be making a complaint to the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice about the matter.

Mr Shatter said: “I totally respect and recognise the right to protest and demonstrate. But this wasn’t simply demonstrating.

“This is outright thuggery that violates a Deputy’s constitutional right to enter the house.

“It illustrates what type of politics these people represent, which is intolerant, anti-democratic and fascist.”

Mr Shatter also criticised gardaí for allowing the situation to develop.

Organisers said earlier the protest is in response to the Government rushing further water charges legislation through the Dáil this week.

The protest was largely peaceful aside from a small number of protestors who heckled gardaí accusing them of Garda brutality and of putting a woman in a headlock during the protest.

There was a strong Garda presence with up to 40 gardaí on duty. There were at least two arrests.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has introduced 33 pages of amendments to the Environment Miscellaneous Provisions Bill.

It contains a number of changes, including the setting up of a database for the water conservation grant and provisions to ensure a house cannot be sold until the charges are paid.

The Bill also obliges local authority tenants to pay their water charges.

The legislation has gone through the committee stage and is due to be finalised.

An estimated 70 per cent of householders had registered with Irish Water by Tuesday's deadline date to allow them claim a €100 water conservation grant from the Government.

It is still not known exactly how many people have paid their first bills to the new semi-state company.

An Irish Water spokeswoman said over 1.32 million people, or 70 per cent of those who can register with the semi-state, had done so as of earlier this week.

Registering with the company does not mean a householder has to pay their water charges, and they are entitled to claim the €100 grant even if they do not pay.

The grant will be administered and paid by the Department of Social Protection, and a separate application process for the payment of the €100 will open later this year.

Of the 1.32 million who have registered, about 80 per cent are customers who will be billed for their water, while the remaining 20 per cent have their own water services, such as group water schemes.