John Halligan TD 

Wednesday, 1st February 2012

John Halligan TD calls anti-Household Charge meeting

Waterford’s Independent TD John Halligan will be joined by his fellow Opposition deputies Clare Daly and Richard Boyd Barrett at a public meeting to challenge the controversial Household and Water Tax in the Tower Hotel on 7th February.

Deputy Halligan has refused to pay the unjust tax, even if he ends up in court and is warning the people of Waterford that the household charge will be just a ‘gateway’ that will lead to further, escalating costs.

He’s one of a group of Opposition TDs, which also includes Socialist Party TD Clare Daly and ULA’s Richard Boyd Barrett, calling for a mass, nationwide non-payment of the tax and mass non-registration by St. Patrick's Day, two weeks before the payment deadline.

"After three years of austerity, this charge really is the straw that will break the camel’s back for struggling householders", Deputy Halligan commented. "The State has just handed over €1.2 billion in a bondholder payment as part of the €30bn bailout of Anglo. Private banking debt will have cost the taxpayer at least €74bn by 2031, money that the people of Ireland will have to pay back."

"This Household and Water Tax is yet another way to squeeze money from ordinary Irish people to pay the Anglo bondholders and I am fully convinced that it will escalate to a hefty sum in a short number of years if no-one opposes it. People power pays, as we learned during the anti-water charges campaign in the 90s and I’m calling on the people of Waterford to stand together on this."

Deputy Halligan has urged all those interested in hearing more about the Household and Water Charge Boycott to attend the public meeting, which will be held in the Tower Hotel at 8pm on Tuesday, 7th February. All are welcome.