TD Opposition To Household Tax Doubles

The number of TDs threatening to boycott the Government's household charge has doubled to 18 since Thursday.

The government announced in the budget a household charge of €100 would come into effect in January with those failing to pay by March facing a fine of €2,500.

A total of 9 TDs said they would oppose the plan including Socialist TDs Clare Daly and Joe Higgins; People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins; as well as Independents Seamus Healy, Thomas Pringle, Mick Wallace, John Halligan and Luke 'Ming' Flanagan.

Now Sinn Fein TDs have joined in with the campaign saying they too would not pay the household charge.

A TDs ganged together in opposition to the introduction of the proposed €100 household charge calling the policy "economic war".

Announcing a nationwide campaign against the measure, the TDs said its success depended on backing from householders.

Speaking on Wednesday, Joe Higgins said the Taoiseach’s Government was declaring "a new economic war on the people" with the household tax.

"It will be a new burden on ordinary people in furtherance of the Government’s ruinous austerity policy of bailing out banks and speculators. Does the Taoiseach have any idea of how angry, frustrated and outraged our people have become over the past three years as their wages, health and education services have been slashed with our society hollowed out as its resources are expropriated to pay the private gambling debts of Irish and European banks? Does he remember the anger last month of ordinary people when €700 million was given to unsecured Anglo Irish Bank bondholders from their taxes?"

Mr Higgins asked is the Taoiseach saw the tax as a burden too far.

He said the tax was starting at €100 but that everyone knew it would rise quickly to €1,000 with the EU-IMF driving it.

"Does the Taoiseach understand this will be met with a massive campaign of opposition from Donegal to Wexford, from Kerry right back to Dublin? The Taoiseach’s disgraceful campaign of intimidation of threatening householders with fines of €2,500 for non-registration will be resisted," the TD added.

(DW)