Right2Water Galway will "confront" Fianna Fáil's Éamon Ó Cuív over what it calls his party's "outrageous" failure "to honour its mandate on water charges and abolish them".
The group, which will meet the Galway West TD at his clinic on Flood Street today, is angered that FF, which, during the election, called for the abolition/suspension of water charges for five years, agreed to suspend water charges for nine months in its recent agreement with Fine Gael, to facilitate the latters formation of a new Government.
Right2Water Galway organiser Dette McLoughlin called this a "betrayal of voters" and an "appalling disregard for democracy and the mandate given to the Dáil by the electorate".
"More than 90 TDs were elected that stood on getting rid of the hated water charges," she said. "It is not acceptable that certain TDs can renege on that without any accountability to the public." She was also critical of the party for calling for the new round of water bills to be paid. The bills are due in within the next fortnight.
The group intends to raise these issues with Dep Ó Cúiv today, and call on him to support a vote allowing "the democratic right of the real anti-water charge TDs to put forward a motion in the Dáil, to abolish water charges".
Aside from this, Ms McLoughlin said Right2Water Galway will "put as much pressure as possible" on TDs who are perceived as having backtracked on the issue of water charges "so they know they have to tow the line or face annihilation when the next general election is called".
"The anti-water charges campaign has forced the political establishment back so many times," she said. "This is evident from the way water dominated the government formation talks, the demoralised comments from Fine Gael, and the suspension of charges. We need to continue to strengthen the boycott and continue the protest movement."
R2WG is calling on those "available to show the strength of their feelings on this issue" to support the delegation meeting with Dep Ó Cuív, by gathering at the corner of Flood Street/Cross Street at 4.45pm today.
