Coolock Steps Up the Anti-Home Tax Campaign

21/04/12

Thursday last [April 19] saw almost eighty people attend the most recent in a series of successful anti-home tax meetings in the Kilmore community centre in Coolock on Dublin’s northside. The meeting, organised by local members of the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes, was called to discuss the next step for the campaign in the area and nationally.

Speakers on the night included Martin Farrell from éirígí and Joe Higgins from the Socialist Party. Both spoke convincingly to the assembled crowd in relation to the current status of the home tax campaign and recent developments in relation to the proposed water tax.

Martin Farrell spoke about the importance of keeping the campaign strong in the Coolock area. He said, “This is only stage one and there is a long way to go yet. The groundwork that has been done in building a mass boycott of the household tax must be built upon as the campaign enters its next phase, one that will probably include fines and court cases. We must remain strong and focused if we are to defeat these unfair home and water taxes.”

Many people on the night were particularly angry at the cowardice shown by the three local government TDs who refused to show up to the meeting, despite being invited by letter and email to explain their stance on the household tax.

Speaking after the meeting éirígí’s Ciaran Heaphey said, “Tonight has seen yet another well attended meeting organised by the CAHWT in the Coolock area. Over the last number of months hundreds of local residents from Coolock and the surrounding areas have attended and taken part in a number of these meetings. It is clear that these meetings have paid a vital role in providing information and reassurance to people who have now joined the boycott of the home tax.

“The challenge ahead of us now is to maintain the boycott of the home tax and increase the pressure on the government to scrap it altogether. And then we need to use the state wide organisation of the CAHWT to mount an effective campaign of opposition to the introduction of domestic water taxes.”