Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes

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The Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes (CAHWT) was a group opposed to the introduction of property and water charges in the Republic of Ireland. It called for the boycott to be used to this effect.

The campaign launched on 22 December 2011. [1] It had a national presence, [2] [3] and was supported by numerous national representatives, including Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Joan Collins, Séamus Healy, Richard Boyd Barrett and Thomas Pringle. [1] [4] It also had support from some Sinn Féin members and the Socialist Party. It was not supported by Fianna Fáil. Fine Gael Environment Minister Phil Hogan, who announced the initial plans for a household charge and payment for water use, openly criticised the subversive campaign. [5] [6]

It established a "national anti-household tax" phone line and organised meetings in every major town in the country. [5] The Irish Times said in April 2012 that the campaign had been "built with lightning speed." [7]

On 1 May 2013, Gardaí arrested five members of the group, including Ted Tynan and Mick Barry, during a midday protest inside the Patrick Street branch of the Bank of Ireland in Cork city. Tynan said he felt a need to stand up against austerity. [4]

On 6 May 2013, the Revenue Commissioners reported that 1.2 m households (74%) have paid the property tax. [8] In August 2013, the Revenue said 1.58 m households had paid the tax, and over €175 m has been collected. [9]

Facebook groups arranged meetings to vandalise or remove water meters, with one Mullingar group removing over 60. [10]

A 20-metre exclusion zone was granted to ensure the safety of workers being harassed by groups who objected to consumers being charged for their water use. In one incident, protesters prevented meter installation engineers from working at or leaving a site for 14 hours. [11]

In late 2014, the Dáil heard how workers were attacked with hammers and glass, punched, kicked and bitten. Protest organisers encouraged supporters to find their addresses on social media and follow them home. Some engineers were held in a van for over twelve hours without access to food, water or toilet facilities. [12] [13]

The plan was ultimately scrapped in 2016.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Campaign against property tax plans launched". RTÉ News . 22 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Galway buses to tax protest". Galway Independent. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  3. ↑ "Campaign against Home & Water Taxes (CAHWT)". Waterford Today. 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Councillors arrested at protest outside branch of Bank of Ireland in Cork". RTÉ News . 1 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  5. 1 2 Hilliard, Mark (12 January 2012). "€5 cost to build warchest against household charge". Irish Independent . Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Minister defends new €100 charge ahead of full property tax". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  7. ↑ "Household tax revolt the price of years of austerity". The Irish Times . 4 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "Household tax dodgers pay up as Revenue closes in". Irish Independent . 6 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Revenue says property tax from non-payers to be taken at source next week". RTÉ News . 2 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Nicky (2014-11-11). "Irish Water doesn't want you inviting fairies to remove your meter". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  11. ↑ "Court grants water meter installers 20m exclusion zone". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  12. ↑ Bardon, Sarah (2014-11-19). "Irish Water meter installers attacked with hammers and glass, punched, kicked and even BITTEN, Dail hears". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  13. ↑ "Water meter staff assaulted 63 times, targeted with guns". Irish Independent. 2015-08-03. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
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