Alan Kelly, the minister of environment, community and local government, said that creating an authority with a dedicated revenue stream that can sell bonds is the best way to finance the infrastructure work that is needed. He dismisses the protesters as “left wing” or “populists” and recently suggested they were in “cloud cuckoo land.”
But Sarah Murphy, 35, who lives in Ballymun, one of the poorest areas of Dublin, said that her husband has been unable to find work since his business collapsed in 2008. The family, after paying rent and electricity, lives on $73 a week for five people, she said.
“We are not paying it,” she said. “We don’t have it.”
Ireland’s economy has been recovering. It grew by nearly 4.8 percent in 2014, and unemployment fell to about 10 percent from a high of 15 percent. But many experts say the figures are misleading, as the unemployed continue to leave the country and many multinational companies, based in Ireland because of its low corporate tax rate, are recording financial transactions that actually take place elsewhere.
A report by the country’s Central Statistics Office that was released in January painted a more dire picture of what has happened in Ireland since the crisis began. The most recent figures available show that Nearly a third of the population in 2013 was suffering from “enforced deprivation” characterized by a lack of two or more basic requirements for a comfortable standard of living, such as adequate food, heating or a warm winter coat, up from 13.7 in 2008, before the financial crisis and the recession.
Many in Ireland Vow Not to Pay a New Water Tax (Suzanne Daly, The New York Times)
(Paulo Nunes/New York Times)
Thanks Niinecare
“He dismisses the protesters as “left wing””
Eh, yeah left wing is a political position, just as right wing or centre is. This a Labour minister dismissing people as Left Wing. Hilarious.
I’m dismissing your comment on the basis that it is informed by your political leanings.
And use the word “poor” has become very commonplace lately. Almost nobody in Ireland is poor. Poor is a world away from having little money or living on social welfare. The word is used by middle class to describe people who have a little bit less then they do. It’s way off the mark.
mr t you are a bottom.
Plenty of people in Ireland are poor, it’s just that we have a social welfare system that means that there are simple and obvious ways in which they are not crucified by their poverty. There are plenty of ways in which they are circumscribed and disadvantaged by their poverty, but they generally don’t starve. Access to shelter and health care are a bit spottier, these days, largely due to systemic problems.The social safety net: kinda awesome in many ways, but it alleviates poverty, not eliminates it.
Really?
From the article:
“The most recent figures available show that Nearly a third of the population in 2013 was suffering from “enforced deprivation” characterized by a lack of two or more basic requirements for a comfortable standard of living, such as adequate food, heating or a warm winter coat, up from 13.7 in 2008, before the financial crisis and the recession.”
Would that class as being poor?
My heating system barely works and I don’t have a winter coat and I’m far from poor.
Is that you Ebenezer?
There’s a world of difference between not being able to afford something and just being a tight ár.se.
It’s great to get things off your chest isn’t it.
mr.t. is an idiot.
YOKES anyone?
Not for me thanks, afraid of the cholesterol so I’ll stick with the whites
Racist
Why are these people not protesting about the state of our health service? Surely that is warrants their anger before the water charge?
Because people only care about what hits them in the pocket directly.
The water protests happening in my area are being organised by people who ordinarily wouldn’t give a toss about anyone or anything. They can tap into like minded people and hey presto, a movement is born.
But care about something else like healthcare? Nope, not going to happen.
Neither for it, housing, homelessness, unemployment, rent controls or any other major area in of reform.
in need of reform..
+1
That’s why they’d vote for the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang if he promised to abolish water charges.
Oh wait – that’s basically Gerry anyway.