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THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE marched through the streets of Dublin today calling for the abolition of water charges.
Protesters marched in two separate groups from Heuston and Connolly stations before meeting at St Stephen’s Green where speeches were held.
The action got underway at about 2pm, with thousands travelling into the city centre to take part in the action.
People also marched on the headquarters of international technology firm Apple, in protest over the government’s decision to appeal the European Commission ruling for the company to pay €13 billion it says it owes in taxes.
Right2Water put the numbers at today’s march in the region of 80,000, while RTÉ reports sources saying that about 15,000 people turned out.
The protesters were marching for the abolition of water charges, which are currently suspended.
A commission has been set up to address the issue in the wake of the general election and has been accepting submissions on how water services should be paid for.
Right2Water, an umbrella group made up of unions, left-wing political parties and community organisations, has been holding anti-charges rallies since late 2014.
Addressing a press conference earlier this week, organiser Brendan Ogle said there was a “wrong perception” that, as water charges had been suspended, the issue had gone away – adding that “we don’t see it like that at all”.
Ogle also mentioned the anger people had over the government’s decision to appeal the European Commission’s ruling that Ireland granted the Apple €13 billion in illegal state aid.
People Before Profit / TwitterThe banks got bailed out, we got sold out! No way we won't pay! #Right2Water #watercharges @JohnLyonsPBPA pic.twitter.com/N441ad02wk
— People Before Profit (@pb4p) September 17, 2016
There was “a lot of anger” over the decision. Ogle said, insisting the issue had “connected with people that I’ve met in a way that I haven’t heard or read about in the media”.
Sinn Féin and the AAA-PBP, which are also part of Right2Water, submitted Dáil motions calling for the government to drop its appeal against the Commission ruling last week, but both were rejected by the chamber.
Speaking at the demonstration today, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said abolition of water charges was “the loud, clear and unequivocal demand of the Irish people”.
“We have had eight marches in two years and we have delivered blow after blow to Irish Water and its supporters,” said. Boylan.
“The pillars of the establishment have lined up to smother this movement and protect the water charges regime.”
Yet here we are again – undaunted, energised and continuing the fight for the right to water.
With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald
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Not to worry everyone, increased rents and increased house prices make for excellent share prices for global REITS and we know that’s all that matters.
@SkepticalHippoEyes: which REITs have performed well lately? You could make a fortune by investing if you are so sure of profits coming their way.
The July stimulus cost €7 billion and we can’t afford to protect tenants from losing their homes. Tax relief for tenants would have cost very little, and made a huge difference to most renters. Where are the priorities of this new government?
@Brendan Barr: where they always are, somewhere else
@Aindriú Purfield: They just shocked they managed to hold on to power
*They’re
Please, Journal, give us an ‘edit’ button, for the love of Jaysis
Elephant in room , the amount of foreigners taking up accommodation here in recent years. This is pricing young Irish off the market.people living at home in late 20s and 30s not conclusive to a healthy lifestyle. Watch populism grow, as birth rates fall.
@Ruairi O Gorman: sounds like you’re ready to join in on some populism yourself.
@Dave Thomas: Maybe so Dave, having a income over the industrial average and paying almost half my my weekly out goings in rent while trying to save for a mortgage has a tendency to do that.
@Ruairi O Gorman: well then blame the government and their housing strategy of keeping supply low and prices high so ivestors can keep profiteering.
@Dave Thomas: You’re missing the point, our economy is creating a lot of jobs due to FDI, this is great but a lot of the jobs are being filled by southern Europeans etc that are young are happy to have a job (unemployment in Spanish youth is over 30%) and happy to pay half their wages in rent.They aren’t saving much because this isn’t home. Most will leave and go home when they have enough for an apartment . All the while the Irish youth are dealing with spiraling rents and home costs created by the mass influx of people, you can’t build fast enough to mitigate this .
@Ruairi O Gorman: Ah the blame the foreigners schtick.
@D’oh: No that’s gaslighting on what i said , People will always go where the grass is greener nobody blames them. Its up to the government to protect the people it elected to serve.
@Ruairi O Gorman: nothing stopping you training to be able to do the jobs they come to do. You may notice how many Irish people went to other countries taking jobs the locals could have filled and living in places they could have lived in. To complain about them coming over here getting high salaries AND PAYING HIGH ICOME TAXES. They also add more again to the economy by paying the high rents as again that is again PAYING HIGH INCOME TAX. This money means we can afford social services and public amenities. If you wanted Ireland to remain in the past with poverty where nobody had anything then we could not entice foreign businesses or skilled labour. Not all boats rise with the tide but a lot more do and getting the balance right is tricky. But one vital thing is do not blame immigrants!!!
@Ruairi O Gorman: land of milk and honey come and get it ,those who can’t afford it you must of being born here.
And yet we can hand new houses to people who have never worked. Generous allowance to furnish it and school meals delivered to the door for their antisocial kids!
@Thomas Sheridan: Yea, and we get to go to work everyday to pay for them. Hurray!!!
Of course it will and the situation is not the fault nor responsibility of landlords. If you add punitive and more restrictive measures to landlords to force a situation where they take a financial hit for the government failures you will make it all worse. Landlords are leaving the market in droves, I think 6000 a year are being lost. Any other industry with a shortage would be trying to retain supplier not make more leave. That is what current policy is doing. People don’t care about landlords and I get that but if you don’t care about them and complaints the situations gets worse. For those that say the property doesn’t disappear the issue is occupancy drops so less to rent and more looking is the result when a property leaves the rental market.
According to property agents demand is still very high and people are willing to pay 2k for 2 bed apartments. I went for viewing last week 3-bed house 2350 per month few couples came mainly indian people. I asked agent if there is any price reduction on this house he says from 20 houses he has at the moment 16 are gone already so I am not sure if there is any affordability issues.
As the fella always says, and sure these are the good times. Just wait a year or two.
“As a young person on average income I can’t get a mortgage to buy my own affordable home but it’s ok for me to pay rent and pay some one else’s ….”
“All Irish citizens should be able to afford their own home, on average incomes, in their own country.”
https://www.change.org/p/irish-referendum-on-family-home-special-status
A neighbor of mine lost her job and got another with less hours,she ask the agents for a rent reduction the answer was no she recons they didn’t even ask the landlord…. because the agents would also have to take a reduction.
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