A “Burn the water bills” protest in Cork city centre attracted over a thousand people on Saturday afternoon.
The protest featured a rally through the city from 2pm starting at the City Library on the Grand Parade followed by a mass burning of water bills.
Cllr Mick Barry of the Anti Austerity Alliance in the city said the “We won’t pay” boycott was taking a firm root nationwide.
“And I think the fact that Irish Water are refusing still to release the stats on how many have paid and how many have not paid is an indication that it is not going well for them.
“There is a widespread understanding that it is forty and sixty five euro now but after the general election and the cap lifts it will sky rocket. Everyone gets that. People are hearing about economic recovery but they are being asked to pay for a water bill.”
Cllr Barry said it was important to state that it is a charge not a tax and cannot be deducted from social welfare.
“If they put through legislation that will allow for court orders for deductions they will have to bring you to court first. Are they going to be able to bring tens of thousands of people to court?”
Protester Betty Kearney from Hollyhill on the northside of the city stressed she didn’t have any political agenda but just found herself unable to pay the bill.
“I am on my own. I got two bills one for forty something and the other for sixty something and I didn’t even register. I can’t afford to pay it it is as simple as that. It is very unusual to get two bills.”
Carol O’Shea from Donnybrook in Cork said getting a water bill was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.
“I have brought my bill in today to burn it. My neighbour got one similar and her total was different. I hadn’t even filled anything out online. I sent it back with the words ‘No charge.’ I then sent back a blank form. I think the thousands of us who sent back blank forms are being counted.”
Campaigners say that more than 1.5 million water bills have been sent out by Irish Water since early April. They believe that more than a million of these have since passed the due date for payment.
More than 70 residents in the Glanmire area of Co Cork gathered last Wednesday night to show their support for the growing national boycott of the controversial water charge bill.
They assembled outside Glanmire credit union last Wednesday to bin their water bills. The binned bills were brought to the rally yesterday where they were burned along with thousands of other bills.
Also last Wednesday householders at Willowbank in Fairhill on the northside of Cork city prevented the installations of water metres by Irish Water workers.