Labour: Govt must resist call for new water charges
The Labour Party has said the Government must rule out any move to reintroduce water charges in Ireland.
A review commissioned by the Government is expected to recommend that the charges be reintroduced to raise much-needed funds for local authorities.
The review, due to be published by Minister for the Environment Dick Roche tomorrow, is also expected to recommend new taxes on holiday homes and second homes.
The measures are being proposed as a means to raise the €2bn that local councils need annually to provide adequate services.
However, Mr Roche is believed to be opposed to any move to introduce such local taxes.
Labour Party TD Eamonn Gilmore also said today that his party would not support measures like water charges.
"We abolished the charges for water because we regard water as an essential service for households," he said.
"There is a big problem with the financing of local government, but I think there would be very strong opposition from the public, as there was in the past, to the charging for water.
"As we know from past experience, the charging for water impacts most severely on low-income households."
