Sinn Féin candidate to fight Bin Tax summons

wexford | bin tax / household tax / water tax | press release

Friday April 23, 2004 11:04

by Jonah

Bin Tax Update in Wexford

Sinn Féin candidate to fight Bin Tax summons

Speaking after being served with a summons for non-payment of Bin Charges, Wexford Sinn Féin local election candidate, David Forde, has reiterated his party's opposition to the present system of Bin Charges and has said that he intends to dispute and defend the summons served on him, at Wexford District Court on May 24th.

David Forde said:

"Sinn Féin is the only party to have opposed the present system of bin charges on all local councils in Wexford and to have demanded change. The bin tax remains as a blanket charge on all households and as a disincentive to proper waste management. There is no element of honesty, equality or choice to these charges. The truth is that bin charges are not in fact a charge for the actual service provided to the householder, but are used as a revenue generating device by the Council. They are a double taxation imposed on households as a result of the governments failure to properly fund local authorities. This is an unavoidable truth which all of the other parties who have failed to challenge these charges continue to deny.

"It is unlikely that the timing of this summons is accidental, coming as it does in the middle of the local election campaign. However Sinn Féin has maintained a principled record of opposition to the Bin Tax in Wexford that is above reproach and I intend to vigorously dispute and defend this summons in court."ENDS