Prominent Campaigner burns Household Tax bill outside Wexford Ministers office

A prominent campaigner against the Household Charge burned what he described as a 'threatening letter' which he had received from Wexford County Council demanding €127 outside of Minister Paul Kehoe's Enniscorthy office last Saturday morning.  Dominick Gaughan, a member of the Loch Garman against Austerity group and Sinn Féin, said he would not pay what he dubbed an 'unfair charge' and warned that from next year families would end up paying between €400 to €800 a year for the privilege of living in their own homes.  Mr Gaughan will be one of the main speakers at a number of anti household tax events this week.

Mr Gaughan said;

"We all know from 2013, families will be charged between €400 and €800 a year just for the privilege of living in their own home's.  In future years, coupled with Water Tax, the average family home will be paying over a €1000 on average per year."

"Despite massive protests and a nationwide boycott of the household tax, the main political parties of the establishment have ignored the Irish peoples declaration that the household charge was an unfair form of double taxation.  We would expect that from our government with Labour and Fine Gael being the teacher's pets in the class for Bankers and non-secured Bond holders, the IMF and Troika.  The so called main opposition party of Fianna Fail have equally supported the implementation of the household tax.  In fact, Fine Gael and Labour are only singing from the hymn sheet that Fianna Fail created."

"Those of us who campaign against this unjust charge are just ordinary people from ordinary families.  We are not in the habit of burning council letters outside the office of government TDs but if that's what it takes to be noticed, then so be it.  Something has to be done as it seems that banks are still too big to fail and people still too small to matter.  The much hyped property tax and the planned Austerity budget cuts in social welfare, child benefit and health will push hundreds of thousands of people over the edge."

Mr Gaughan will be one of the main speakers at a public meeting in Whites Hotel on Tuesday night at 8am.  Deputy Mick Wallace and Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan will also speak.  A day of protest against the household tax will be held nationwide next Saturday.  Protest rallies will be held on the Fairgreen in Enniscorthy at 10pm and on Wexford Quay at 2pm.