Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to explain how this constitutes discrimination. Those who own their own homes will not have money taken off them. Those renting privately may have it taken from their deposit, but that remains to be seen. However, the Minister has stated that council tenants will have their rents increased to take unpaid water charges from them. That amounts to discrimination against those who are council tenants.

Again, will the Minister give a commitment that nobody will be evicted for refusing to pay their water charges? The suggestion that people could be evicted was well reported in the media over the past week or so. Either it is a scare story coming from the Government or some similar source, designed to encourage people to pay and not join the boycott, or there is a basis of truth to it. If the Minister could confirm absolutely that nobody will be evicted for not paying their water charges, it would be helpful and assuage people’s fears.

Finally, the threats will not work, the baby carrot will not work and water charges will be defeated.

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