Bertie Heckled in Bin Tax Protest

Dublin Campaign Against the Bin Tax

Bertie Heckled in Bin Tax Protest

8th December 2003

The Dublin Campaign Against the Bin Tax today held a protest at Binns Bridge
in Drumcondra to highlight the ongoing opposition to the Bin Tax and double
taxation.

A press photo shoot staged to raise the profiles of Bertie Ahern and Lord
Mayor Royston Brady was heckled by a token protest by members of the local
Ballybough-Clonliffe Campaign against the Bin Tax

Joe Mooney, Secretary of the Dublin Campaign, said:
"It is quite ironic to see Bertie Ahern attempting to co-opt such as anti-establishment
figure as Brendan Behan to boost their ?Golden Circle? government. It is
highly likely that if Brendan Behan was around today he would oppose the
Bin Tax and Mr Ahern?s cronies would have no problem locking him up across
the canal.

Mr Mooney continued:
"Today the press has revealed that Environment Minister Martin Cullen will
allocate e700 million to the Local Government Fund for 2004. It is positive
that there has been a recognition of the need for adequate funding for local
services and that this should come from central government, paid for from
our taxes. However this is just a once off payment for 2004 and will mainly
be directed at fulfilling benchmarking commitments. The suspicion arises
that the aim of the subsidy is to remove the need for huge stealth tax rises
for local services in 2004, which just happens to be a Local Election year."

Alec Robertson, secretary of the Ballybough-Clonliffe Campaign said:
"Mr Ahern will face many more such protests until the Government orders
local authorities to collect all bins and scraps this unjust and unfair
tax. Support for the campaign remains strong and non-payment figures for
Dublin City Council areas vindicate our claim that compliance with the Bin
Tax amounts to just under 30%, with over 45% having paid nothing or just
a portion of the double tax. Our message remains the same ? "Don?t Panic,
Don?t Pay.""

[ENDS]
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APPENDIX:

Figures for Dublin City Council Bin Tax for 2003 (obtained under Freedom
of Information Act)

Total billed 164,136 (100%)

39,500 Waivers (24.06%)
48,927 Paid in full for 2001, 2002, 2003 (29.80%)
30,000 Paid Nothing (18.27%)
45,709 Paid something from introduction of charge to 31.12.02 (27.84%)