Press Release Candle Lit Protest outside “Áras an Uachtaráin” against the Water services bill Residents of Kingswood, Tallaght, will be joined by Many Friends and relatives on Sunday 28th December 2014, in what will be the first of many spontaneous protests. This Candle Lit protest organized by “Kingswood Says No” against the “Water services bill 2014” which is currently attracting a gathering of 2,000 protesters will be held at 2pm outside the gates of “Áras an Uachtaráin” Although the Bill has already been forced through both the Dáil and Seanad we are asking President Michael D Higgins to utilise Article 26 which allows the President – after consulting with his Council of State – to refer a bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. This follows after Many including Sinn Fein, the Technical Group, and a number of independent TDs and senators, have written to President Michael D Higgins asking him not to rubberstamp the Water Services Bill. 1. There is such a degree of widespread public opposition to the imposition of charges for water as proposed under Section 3(2) of the Bill that such a proposal should be put to the people by way of referendum or by holding of a general election before such charges are introduced. 2. The proposed plebiscite on the ownership of Irish Water in section 2 of the Bill does not satisfy demands for a constitutional referendum to enshrine the public ownership of Irish Water into the Constitution. 3. The proposal in Section 3(3) of the Bill which will require households who are unable to drink the water in their taps due to contamination to pay 50% of their water charges is fundamentally unjust. We are also raising awareness of TD Alan Kelly ability to sign away “Ireland’s unique exemption from domestic water charging based on Article 9.4 of the EU Water Framework Directive”
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 22:46:11 +0000