Cork residents continue standoff with Irish Water

Residents in Co Cork have been mounting protests against the installation of water meters.

Cork residents continue standoff with Irish Water

By Eoin English

Protestors are blocking Irish Water contractors from installing water meters in a Cork housing estate again this morning.

About six members of the Ballyphehane and Togher Anti Water and Property Tax protest group blocked the entrance to the Ashbrook Heights housing estate in Lehanaghmore, Togher, earlier to prevent the contractors vans from entering.

One protestor, Brian Gould, stood in a hole dug by the contractors outside a house in nearby Fenwood Estate to halt work there.

Several residents have expressed their support for the protest and are supplying the men with tea and biscuits.

Despite a warning from gardai earlier that they face arrest if the blockade continues, the protestors have vowed to maintain a presence at the estate entrance indefinitely.

While five water meters were installed in the estate yesterday before the protest became established, no work has been carried out in the 65-house estate this morning.

The stand-off is continuing.

"None of us have given any consent for it to be installed in our house," said local resident Robbie Cronin, who said the entire estate was taking part.

"We decided what we'd do is when they come up is we'd just restrict our access - park our cars over the water meter … and deny them access."

In an interview with Newstalk Breakfast, local resident in Ashbrook Estate in Togher talks about the standoff in Co Cork with Irish Water.

It has also been announced that Irish Water will use a €39m fund to secure 1,100 voluntary redundancies from local authorities.

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