Anti-Bin Tax Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Bin Tax campaign was a campaign which opposed the introduction of bin charges by local authorities in Ireland
. The campaign centred largely in city areas, in particular Dublin. The campaigns were locally based with some co-ordination in the Dublin area. Non-payment was the tactic used against the charge.
The campaign was supported by a variety of people from community and minor political groupings, such as Socialist Party
, Socialist Workers Party
, Irish Socialist Network
, Workers Solidarity Movement
and Working Class Action
.
sought an injunction and the imprisonment of Joe Higgins
and Clare Daly
of the Socialist Party
, and Irish Socialist Network
members John O'Neill and Colm Breathnach. These imprisonments escalated the campaign and for a number of weeks refuse collection in the Dublin area was severely disrupted due to protests. In total 22 people were imprisoned.
The campaign was described by The Phoenix Magazine
as "an abject failure" which "left many thousands of families across Dublin in financial and legal difficulty, it proved a useful campaign and publicity tool for SP
candidates in a number of constituencies"
and one on South Dublin County Council
, bringing its total up to four. Joan Collins, running as an Independent, won a seat in the Crumlin-Kimmage local electoral area
on Dublin City Council
.
Cieran Perry of Working Class Action
running as an independent narrowly missed election by 93 votes in Cabra, polling 1,753 votes. Dublin city chair of 'Stop the Bin Tax campaign' Joe Mooney ran in the Dublin North Inner City electoral ward unsuccessfully.
Joe Mooney was involved in one of the most prominent incidents of the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign when he was hit by a Dublin City Council truck while the campaign tried to blockade a bin truck depot, he was carried down a road by a bin truck, before falling off. He was slightly injured. The incident was filmed by TV cameras and featured on the news.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The campaign centred largely in city areas, in particular Dublin. The campaigns were locally based with some co-ordination in the Dublin area. Non-payment was the tactic used against the charge.
The campaign was supported by a variety of people from community and minor political groupings, such as Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Party is a socialist political party active in Ireland. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International .Formerly known as Militant Tendency, then Militant Labour, it adopted the name The Socialist Party in 1996. From their foundation in 1972 until the 1980s, members of...
, Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Workers Party is an Irish Trotskyist political party.-Foundation and growth:The SWP was originally founded in 1971 as the Socialist Workers Movement by supporters of the International Socialists of Britain living in Northern Ireland, who had previously been members of People's...
, Irish Socialist Network
Irish Socialist Network
The Irish Socialist Network is a democratic socialist organisation formed in 2001. It is a campaigning organisation which works actively to fight for the rights of Irish workers and to help build a socialist Ireland. It is based in Belfast and Dublin...
, Workers Solidarity Movement
Workers Solidarity Movement
The Workers Solidarity Movement is an anarchist organisation in Ireland broadly in the platformist tradition of Nestor Makhno. It was set up in 1984 and publishes the paper Workers Solidarity and the magazine Red and Black Revolution....
and Working Class Action
Working Class Action
Working Class Action was a left wing campaign group based in Dublin, largely in the North Inner City and Cabra. The group campaigned on a number of issues such as against service charges , against the Nice Treaty, against drugs and crime in inner city areas of dublin and in Industrial disputes...
.
Imprisonment of protesters
In Autumn 2003 after years of mass non-payment the Dublin local authorities began non-collection; leading to protests and blockades of bin trucks. In the High Court Fingal County CouncilFingal County Council
Fingal County council is the local authority for the county of Fingal in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. The county seat is in Swords, with another major office...
sought an injunction and the imprisonment of Joe Higgins
Joe Higgins
Joe Higgins is an Irish Socialist Party politician. In the 2011 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency, having previously served in that capacity from 1997–2007...
and Clare Daly
Clare Daly
Clare Daly is an Irish Socialist Party politician and trade union activist. She was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency at the 2011 general election. She was previously a Socialist Party councillor for the Swords electoral area on Fingal County Council.-Early life:Daly was...
of the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Party is a socialist political party active in Ireland. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International .Formerly known as Militant Tendency, then Militant Labour, it adopted the name The Socialist Party in 1996. From their foundation in 1972 until the 1980s, members of...
, and Irish Socialist Network
Irish Socialist Network
The Irish Socialist Network is a democratic socialist organisation formed in 2001. It is a campaigning organisation which works actively to fight for the rights of Irish workers and to help build a socialist Ireland. It is based in Belfast and Dublin...
members John O'Neill and Colm Breathnach. These imprisonments escalated the campaign and for a number of weeks refuse collection in the Dublin area was severely disrupted due to protests. In total 22 people were imprisoned.
The campaign was described by The Phoenix Magazine
The Phoenix (magazine)
The Phoenix is Ireland's best selling political and current affairs magazine. Inspired by the British magazine Private Eye, and a source of investigative journalism in Ireland...
as "an abject failure" which "left many thousands of families across Dublin in financial and legal difficulty, it proved a useful campaign and publicity tool for SP
Socialist Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Party is a socialist political party active in Ireland. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International .Formerly known as Militant Tendency, then Militant Labour, it adopted the name The Socialist Party in 1996. From their foundation in 1972 until the 1980s, members of...
candidates in a number of constituencies"
2004 local elections
At the 2004 local elections following the non-collection phase of the campaign Anti-Bin Tax candidates did well. The Socialist Party gained two seats, one on Cork City CouncilCork City Council
Cork City Council is the local authority which is responsible for the city of Cork and its immediate hinterland in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment...
and one on South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council is the local authority for the county of South Dublin in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition, and one of four councils in the Dublin Region...
, bringing its total up to four. Joan Collins, running as an Independent, won a seat in the Crumlin-Kimmage local electoral area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
on Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
.
Cieran Perry of Working Class Action
Working Class Action
Working Class Action was a left wing campaign group based in Dublin, largely in the North Inner City and Cabra. The group campaigned on a number of issues such as against service charges , against the Nice Treaty, against drugs and crime in inner city areas of dublin and in Industrial disputes...
running as an independent narrowly missed election by 93 votes in Cabra, polling 1,753 votes. Dublin city chair of 'Stop the Bin Tax campaign' Joe Mooney ran in the Dublin North Inner City electoral ward unsuccessfully.
Joe Mooney was involved in one of the most prominent incidents of the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign when he was hit by a Dublin City Council truck while the campaign tried to blockade a bin truck depot, he was carried down a road by a bin truck, before falling off. He was slightly injured. The incident was filmed by TV cameras and featured on the news.