Anti water charge campaigners have accused the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, of being "out of touch" with the feelings of ordinary working people on the issue.
The Federation of Dublin Anti Water Charges Campaigns said yesterday that the routes against charges was not dated. Mr Joe Higgins, chairman of the federation, said that huge taxation inequity was at the centre of the controversy over local service charges.
He said the Government had written off £500 million in tax amnesties to the "super wealthy", yet ordinary PAYE householders "are being dragged to the courts for refusing to pay the water charges".
The Green Party has also criticised the Minister's stance on the charges, claiming he was "robbing Peter to pay Peter". Mr Dan Boyle said that "the principle of paying for local services at a local level is fine, but it should not be taken as an excuse to levy additional payments on already overburdened taxpayers".