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

Was the answer "No", that the Minister has not considered the possibility that large numbers of people will refuse to pay and that will result in Irish Water failing the market corporation test and a major crisis for Irish Water and the strategy of off-balance sheet funding is falling apart? The Minister can provide all the options he wants for people to pay. He can make it as simple as he wants for people to pay but a large proportion of people will refuse to pay because they do not agree with the water charges and they see them for what they are, namely, another unjust attack on working class people, and they understand that mass non-payment is the central tactic that will sink Irish Water and defeat the water charges.

The rational decision for people to make is that there are no penalties for non-payment until July 2016 and then it will be €30 or €60. It makes sense for people to say they will join the boycott because they know that no penalties will apply until after the next general election. They can be safe in the knowledge that if 30%, 40% or 50% of people refuse to pay, in the context of a general election that would be the dominant issue and any Government that comes in would be under massive pressure to withdraw the penalties but also to withdraw the charges. Has the Minister not carried out an analysis? Will Irish Water fail the test if 30%, 40% or 50% of people do not pay?

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