The ‘Can’t Pay Won’t Pay’ campaign group have said they WILL hold a protest outside next Monday’s county council meeting in Lifford.
It follows this week’s protest outside the MacGill Summer School in Glenties to coincide with the appearance of Environment Minister Phil Hogan.
The group claim the proposal to cut 1 million euro from the budget of Donegal County Council amounts to an almost feudal punishment for the people of the county for their strong resistance to the Household Tax.
The campaign has called on people to join them in the demonstration at 12.00pm on Monday, July 30th, outside the Donegal County Council offices in Lifford.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s up-coming protest, spokesperson for the ‘Can’t Pay Won’t Pay’ group, Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig said “In the budget plan last December no-where did it state that budgets cuts were in relation to the non-payment of the household charge.
“This reason for a cut was not mentioned until February or March this year by Phil Hogan when it was clear there was a massive revolt by the people against the charge and it is a threat he has continued to make since despite the fact it is based on lies.
“Our county has had the highest non-payment rates for the Household Tax. Like a feudal lord from days gone by, Hogan has decreed from Dublin that we must be punished for standing up to his unfair tax by withholding 1 million euro from Donegal County Council by the Local Governement Fund. We have consistently argued that Household Tax money does not go towards providing local services and now we have been proven right. There is nothing inevitable about the 1 million figure of cuts. It is an arbitrary figure which in no way relates to the level of Household Tax payment. It is purely a spiteful penalty for our refusal to being bullied into paying this bondholder bailout tax.”
Calling for a large turnout at Mondays protest, Mr Mac Giolla Easbuig claimed Donegal County Council are not being honest with their stated figures.
“They are continuing to misrepresent the fact that nearly two thirds of Donegal homeowners have not paid the Household Tax. We are calling for honesty from council officials and we are calling on elected councillors to stand with the people by rejecting any cut in the budget. We want to send a strong message back to Hogan that we will not be bullied.”
