Anti- Home Tax Councillors Vow to Fight Cuts
A group of Councillors supporting the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes have stated there will be “outright opposition” to “each and every cut being imposed on council services”.
Responding to this week’s announcement that Local Government Fund allocations to County and City Councils are to be cut, Cllr Matt Waine (Fingal) said “Minister Hogan is lying about a connection between the household tax and council cuts. The government cut €170 million from local councils in the last Budget. That was bailout money. Now he tries to blame more than a million people taking a stand against unjust taxation. The government strategy is to starve the councils of cash and get them to make up the shortfall. Council areas with the lowest incomes and the highest unemployment — the very areas who rely more on council services — will be punished most.”
“These cuts will severely affect people. Services such as housing maintenance, youth clubs, parks, libraries, football facilities, swimming pools – the very heartbeat of our communities. Does Minister Hogan seriously think that local people will allow the services we depend on to be dismantled? As Councillors elected to protect the interest of our constituents, we won’t allow services to shut down in order to divert money into the Anglo Irish Bank black hole,” said Cllr Pat Dunne (Dublin City). “As members and organisers of the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes we will be mobilising our communities to resist each and every attack.”
The Councillors were part of a group who presented Minister Hogan with a giant letter outlining an ‘alternative to austerity’ which stated ‘The household tax is not necessary, Cuts are not necessary. 33,000 Irish millionaires own wealth of €121 billion. Tax them instead.’
“Over the coming weeks, anti household tax campaigns in local areas will be discussing how we can resist these cuts,” said Cllr Louise Minihan (Dublin City). “We will not be bullied into paying this tax.”
About the Campaign
