Protest groups from the city of Detroit and Greece will join Dublin’s Right2Water campaigners in Dublin at another mass rally against the planned Irish Water charges.
The next mass protest planned for Ireland’s capital will take place on December 10th following on from two large-scale days of action around the country and a 100,000 strong protest in Dublin.
The next protest will include members of the Detroit Water Brigade, from Michigan. Their group has an ongoing campaign of protests against their city, which turned off the water supply of 27,000 homes who did not pay their bills.
Ireland's Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly said Irish householders will not have their water supply cut off if they fail to pay their Irish Water bills.
He told the Irish Times “I want to emphasize that I do not want to see this happening under any circumstances.”
On Tuesday Irish Water returned to the Irish government’s agenda following a protest by Right2Water in Galway.
Several ministers have acknowledged that “mistakes have been” made in the established of this utility and said they would look at ways of making the charge more affordable.
Having been heckled by protesters in Galway Irish leader Enda Kenny said a new deal on the water charges would be signed off “next week.”
#Galway's Spanish Arch to Eyre Sq & back full of #Right2Water marchers @rtenews said only 2500 #HowManyWereThere? pic.twitter.com/4aLxy1HX1i
— bhreathnadoir (@bhreathnadoir) November 7, 2014
Deputy leader Joan Burton suggested last week that a family would pay less than $248 (€200) per year, however more recent report suggest this is not the case.
Ireland is currently the only country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that does not charge citizens for water usage. This will change in January 2015 with the implementation of meters and fees.
At yesterday's Anti Water Charges Protest in Thurles. #Right2Water pic.twitter.com/N0WciPfPlf
— Helena McGee (@helenamcgee) November 9, 2014
In Detroit last month the United Nations human rights officials called for city bosses to restore water services to this people, following a fact-finding mission. In a statement they said cutting off these 27,000 home’s water supplies was a violation of the people’s human rights.
The city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy in July 2013. The city began disconnecting water services in early 2014, on house that had failed to pay their bills for more than two month. There are more than 80,000 delinquent account holders in Detroit.
Here’s recent video released by the Right2Water:
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