From 1 July, Irish Water is seeking to implement excessive-use water charges of up to €500 per year. This will come as no great surprise to those of us who highlighted the programme for government agreed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael back in 2016. The Socialist Party opposed and warned about this element of the legislation at the time, as we knew that is could be used as a back door to the re-introduction of full water charges in the future. The legislation allows the government to lower the amount of water that is considered normal usage over time. Just like with tuition fees and bin charges, the amounts will be increased incrementally until the idea of direct payment for water becomes normalised, or at least this is their hope. read full story / add a comment

The Right2Water campaign is currently developing a submission in relation to the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) which will be submitted to the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government as part of their consultation process.

In order to ensure all Right2Water Ireland's supporters' voices are heard and are involved in this process, we are asking you to fill in this short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PKN3YXN

read full story / add a comment

This is a repost of a report by the WSM on the Water Charges protest last Saturday April 8th.

Thousands of protesters converged on Connolly and Heuston stations in Dublin yesterday as part of the 9th national demonstration against the water charges. The demonstration was called by Right2Water, the umbrella group of left wing political parties and trade unions, as part of an effort to pressurise the government to abandon their attempts to implement water charges.
read full story / add a comment

A working paper on the water charges movement now available online for comment and discussion. read full story / add a comment

Press Release - 30th Nov 2016

At a press conference this morning on the Dail Plinth, AAA-PBP TDs reacted to the findings of the Expert Commission on Water Charges.

Paul Murphy TD said “The report by the Expert Commission is a political fudge to allow Fine Gael to claim water charges are still in place and for Fianna Fail to say that water charges are gone.

“The report acts as a Trojan Horse to allow for the future re-introduction of water charges. The idea of ‘excessive usage’ and a free allowance keeps the principle of paying for water in place. read full story / add a comment

The Irish government's attempt to introduce domestic water charges in Ireland is not going well. In fact, for them it's been a disaster because it's sparked off a huge upsurge in working class self organisation and direct action. Last Saturday 17th Sept, saw thousands of anti-water charges campaigners flooding the streets of Dublin o to again voice their opposition to Irish Water & water charges and as a show of strength for the movement. read full story / add a comment

September 17th sees the next major national march against the 'we can't believe they are not dead already' water charges. We respect that many anarchists will be marching with their local groups but for those who are not we thought it would be good to have an anarchist bloc and march together, everyone can then meet up at the end. read full story / add a comment

AAA-PBP Motion calls for Ministerial order to cap charges and reinstate waivers for low income families

Dail debate and vote to take place next week on AAA-PBP motion calling for immediate government action to prevent planned increase in waste charges

Next week, the Dail will debate and vote upon a AAA-PBP Private Members Motion calling for an immediate Ministerial order to prevent private waste companies from implementing the planned dramatic increases in household waste charges.

The motion submitted today by AAA-PBP will be debated in the Dail next Tuesday

Bin charges are set to rise by between 100 and 200%. These charges will inflict an unsustainable burden for hard pressed households if the proposed increases by private waste companies are implemented and will undoubtedly lead to a dramatic increase in illegal dumping. read full story / add a comment

A cross party group of TDs have expressed concern at the jailing of two political activists, Sean Doyle and Eamonn McGrath. Both men have been remanded in custody until the 21st of May and 24th of June respectively for taking part in a peaceful protest in Kilcoole. Sean was arrested after being assaulted by an individual in front of Gardai while his attacker went unpunished. The same attacker then viciously pushed a woman to the ground. The Gardaí present saw fit to arrest the protesters for trespass while they gently escorted the assailant away. No charges have been brought against this man. The continuation of the political policing of the Irish Water protests exposes the Garda, yet again, as a force used to protect the status quo at the expense of ordinary people. read full story / add a comment

All taxation is bourgeois! read full story / add a comment

Total abolition of water charges... read full story / add a comment

We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible.’ An affirmation that should, by now, be familiar to most of us. read full story / add a comment

The Right2Water campaign said today (Wednesday January 20th) that water charges are being used to give tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest in our society. Pointing out that households only use 10 percent of water but are now expected to pay up to 78 percent of all costs while corporations and agriculture use 90 percent of all water but will only pay 22 percent of the costs, Right2Water said that water charges amount to a ‘transfer of wealth’. read full story / add a comment

SIPTU and TEEU local authority members working under the management of Irish Water have today (Friday, 20th November) overwhelmingly voted for industrial action to prevent the privatisation of the public water service. Last month, Irish Water said that it intended reduce the local authority workforce in the company by up to 1500 by 2021. The unilateral announcement was in breach of the Service Level Agreement reached with trade union representatives in 2013 which obliged the company to consult with them in relation to any proposed changes in staffing numbers read full story / add a comment

The political trial of 18 people who delayed Joan Burton in her car began today. It is an escalation in the attempt to demonise and vilify an entire community for rejecting the Labour Party.

Four AAA members were present in court, as part of the targeting of our own organisation by the Gardai and the establishment. On top of these charges, we have had permission to collect money door to door refused in two Garda districts, including Tallaght and there has been the revelations around Operation Mizen which has seen Gardai carry out surveillance on water charge activists including Paul Murphy TD. read full story / add a comment

The European Commission has been investigating how Apple got away with paying a tax rate of just 2 percent on massive profits. It has concluded that the company benefited from an illegal deal with the Irish government. This judgement will be announced shortly. read full story / add a comment

The Solidarity Times facebook page is reported today that Water charges protestor Stephen Bennett is being sent to prison. Here is their report.

The Water charges protester Stephen Bennett will be in jail for one month tomorrow. He was not convicted of anything, instead the courts attempted to impose 'protest ban' bail conditions which he has continued to refuse to accept. All sections of the water charges movements should be demanding Stephens immediate and unconditional release.

"To my Friends, Comrades and to the Irish Water movement. I send this message of solidarity from my cell in Cloverhill prison, where I have been since May 20th. read full story / add a comment

The well respected Mahon Says No anti-water charges group have issued a statement warning that "Right2Water and the Socialist Party both need to take a step back and consider the potential damage their mutual mudslinging will cause, and all in the name of getting their representatives elected read full story / add a comment

Garda have attacked an occupation of Fingal council offices by water charges protesters causing injuries like the one pictured.

We understand these happened when the Garda smashed a plate glass door in on top of the protesters who were occupying the entrance.

According to one of those attacked posting to the Balbriggan page "Garda have attached 3 of us and shattered the fingal county council office doors on top of us picture to follow. If you listen to the video u will hear the glass crashing on top of us" The video is at https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=633082310156899 read full story / add a comment

The Anti-Austerity Alliance has today condemned the jailing of anti-water meter protestors at the behest of Denis O’Brien’s company GMC Sierra.

Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said “The jailing of these protestors and the arrests in Tallaght is an attack on the right of communities to protest against the imposition of austerity measures, in this case the water charge and meters, which are being imposed by the government despite the massive opposition to them. read full story / add a comment