Tóibín: I won't pay household charge

Sinn Fein TD for Meath West, Peadar Tóibín, has declared that he will not be paying the new household charge, but will instead donate the money to the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP). As he prepares to hold a series of meetings across the constiuency in protest agains government cuts and additional taxes, he said there is a build-up of enormous pressure on struggling families. "In solidarity with these people, I will refuse to pay the household charge. I will instead donate the amount to the St Vincent De Paul," he said this week. He said he has thought "long and hard" before making the decision. "The household charge is a grossly unfair tax. Henry Mountcharles will be charged as much as a person in a three-bedroom semi-detached who is up to their neck in negative equity," he added. "This money will not be invested in our local authorities - it will instead be handed over to the promissory note-holders and the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank." Deputy Toibín said he wanted to be clear that he was not advising others not to pay it. "That decision is up to each individual. I have seen other campaigns advise mass non-payment in years gone by and when the campaigns come to an end, many struggling citizens are left behind to pay massive arrears. "It is irresponsible for politicians to tell people not to pay and then leave citizens with big bills to pay. If people decide themselves not to pay, they must understand what will be the consequences of their decision." he said. The Sinn Fein TD said the household charge, along with other cuts and charges, were just the start of the policy of the government to transfer money out of our communities into the hands of the ECB and private bondholders. "Ireland is being transformed into a massive debt repayment agency where lower and middle income earners are being hit hardest. On top of this, the government is doing all they can to deny the Irish people a referendum of the upcoming EU austerity treaty. An alternative growth and stimulus strategy is available to the state if the Labour/Fine Gael government would just stand up to the Troika in interests of the Irish people," he said. Deputy Tóibin is also organising a series of Community Against Cuts meetings, the first of which will be held in Collinstown Community Hall in Co Westmeath tomorrow (Thursday) followed by Bohermeen Community Centre next Wednesday, 1st February, and the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, on Thursday 2nd February. A meeting also will take place in Ballivor Community Centre on the 9th February. He urged people who would be directly affected by the household charge, the septic tank charges, broadcast charges or water charges to attend. He also is asking those affected by cuts to DEIS schools, small schools, guidance councillors, CE schemes, hospital and nursing homes and services, such as the Women's Refuge, and cuts to rural Garda stations, to attend. "Irish people have been far too passive for far too long. Nearly half a million people are unemployed and 70,000 people emigrated last year. The future of this State is being sold off in its billions and its time we stopped giving out about it and made a stand," the TD added.