Government's water charges plan "in tatters" as public reject tax

A TIRADE of boos and heckles emanated from the Government benches in the Dáil today as  Labour and Fine Gael backbenchers attempted to silence Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald from confronting Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the issue of water charges.

The exchange came following the overwhelming rejection of the unfair water charges by the public - with figures finally released by Irish Water showing 57% of households have not paid the charge.

Accusing the Government of resorting to coercion, Mary Lou McDonald said:

"You are ramming through unprecedented legislation to pickpocket the income of already hard-pressed citizens to prop up your discredited Irish Water quango. You hoped that this would frighten a significant number of people to pay the bills which they received. But you were wrong. You have been told today, in no uncertain terms, that your Water Tax is going nowhere."

 The Taoiseach responded by taking about Greece and issues not connected with water charges before affirming that people would pay when they see what he described as the 'benefits of Irish Water'.

Mary Lou McDonald responded, saying the introduction of attachment orders - describing it as "pickpocket legislation" - "is a potent symbol of your unfair, two-tier recovery:

"In Government, Sinn Féin would immediately scrap Water Charges.

Describing how Irish Water was no longer self-financing, she asked:

"Isn’t it the truth Taoiseach that your plans for Irish Water lie in tatters?"