Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
Water tax
In the 1990s an attempt to enforce a water charge was defeated when Dublin communities rebelled and refused to pay. These are our writings from and about that campaign.
For the fight against water charges in 2014 on see www.wsm.ie/water-charge
Why we must organise to defeat the Household Tax
Date: Fri, 2011-09-09 14:22
The EU and IMF, enabled and supported by our Fine Gael/Labour Government, are imposing a new regressive tax on all of our homes. This tax will take no account of the ability to pay and will almost certainly move in only one direction (upwards) over the years once it is introduced.
A radical analysis of the IMF/ECB four year plan and call to action
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 15:11
Today the government announced the details of the four year plan required as part of the ECB / IMF ‘bailout’ of the banks. There will be five billion worth of new taxes and 10 billion worth of cuts under this so called ‘National Recovery’ which in reality will take 10% out of GDP. As we show below almost all these costs are being dumped on workers, particularly low paid workers, the very sector that gained little or nothing during the boom years. the richest 1% are left with most of their legal tax dodges in particular the ability to avoid paying tax at all if they spend 6 months on holidays out of the country.
Looking back on the battle of the Bins & the Lessons Learnt - Interview
Date: Wed, 2006-02-01 15:11
The campaign against the bin charges was one of the largest organised mass movements of resistance to the state in recent years. Local organising groups popped up across the city. It climaxed in the winter of 2003, with the jailings of numerous activists in quick succession. Here we talk to Dermot Sreenan, a member of the WSM who has been a prominent activist in the campaign from the off.
Defeating the Water Tax in Dublin in the 1990s
Date: Mon, 1998-10-19 14:34
Last year, the domestic water charge was abolished. In 'Winning The Water War', Dermot Sreenan, an activist in the Federation of Dublin Anti Water Charges Campaigns examines the campaign and the demonstration of people power that brought about the downfall of this charge.
All of This Has Happened Before - Garda brutality, from Rossport to anti-water charges protests
Date: Mon, 2014-11-17 19:35
Garda assaulting community protesters and the media not reporting? Politicians spinning greater and greater lies about 'sinister fringes' and dissidents? What's happening now to Water Charge resistors happened to the people of Rossport a few years back and we can learn from their determined resistance.
Scenes of Garda violence being used against water charge resistors have come as a shock to many people. Ten years ago if this had happened most people elsewhere might only have heard rumours and assumed that something must have been done to deserve the response. Today however the prevalence of camera phones and the ease of sharing photos and video on Facebook has meant one video after another showing disproportionate violence from the Garda has ‘gone viral’.
Organising against the household tax - You have a role to play
Date: Wed, 2011-08-10 10:25
Workers Solidarity Movement members are currently centrally involved in helping to establish a campaign against the new household tax announced by the government. For this campaign to be successful it will have to be built at a local level in every area of Dublin and in every town and city around the country. The central plank of the campaign will be non-payment and it will be based on the successful anti-water charges campaign of the 1990s.
Household & Water Tax Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay
Date: Fri, 2011-07-01 09:58
The government has made it clear that it is determined to press ahead with its attempts to impose not one but two new taxes on us. Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan is preparing to bring plans to government for a household tax, probably starting at €100 per year, from 1st January. This tax will be added to by a water tax, expected to be introduced within the next couple of years.
Anti-water tax campaigners protest metering conference at Croke Park
Date: Tue, 2011-05-31 11:44
Around 60 anti-water tax campaigners placed a picket on the water metering conference at Croke Park this morning. Such a large turnout at 8.30 am must have caused concern for the attending companies who view the government plan to charge for and meter water as an easy way for them to make a fast buck. It has been announced that 600 million euro is to be spent imposing the plan. It's fast becoming clear that the introduction of water charges will face serious resistance and those attending must be aware that the previous attempt to impose a water tax was defeated by such mass resistance in the 1990's.
Anglo Irish Boss calls for Water Tax
Date: Mon, 2010-10-04 16:33
Anglo Irish Bank Boss, Alan Dukes, called for the immediate imposition of a Water Tax on every household in the country, in an RTE interview at the weekend. Dukes enjoys a TDs 
pension of €45,500, a ministerial pension of €55,000 on top of his undisclosed salary of over €100,000 as bank boss. When asked recently would he give up these pensions in the countrys' interest as he has a extremely well paid job, he answered no.
Anti-Water Tax Campaign blasts Green Party
Date: Tue, 2010-03-30 13:52
40 members of the new Anti-Water Tax Campaign from Waterford, Cork and Dublin protested outside the Green Party conference last weekend. John Gormley and his fellow Green TDs have been leading the charge to impose this additional charge on households, pretending a regressive tax is somehow an environmental measure.
