A movement against water charges has led to some of the largest protests against government policy ever seen in the Republic of Ireland.
A system of domestic water charging introduced on 1 October could cost hard-hit households more than €500 (£390) a year. The scheme was part of the conditions attached to the November 2010 bailout.
The government set up a new semi-state company, Irish Water, in 2013, which has already spent tens of millions of euros on consultants.
Opposition to water charges began with residents taking direct action against contractors installing water meters. It has since grown, with mass protests shaking the Fine Gael-Labour coalition.
Around 120,000 people took to the streets on 1 November. About 20 protests were staged in Dublin alone, 10,000 demonstrated in Cork city and more than 8,000 people marched in both Letterkenny and Drogheda.
Polls show around a quarter of the population are unwilling to pay the charges; on 9 November The Sunday Independent reported internal dissent within Fine Gael about Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s handling of the situation.
Reflecting anger against the governing parties and the main opposition, Sinn Féin are now the most popular party in opinion polls, with around 26%. Fine Gael stands at 22%, Fianna Fáil 20%, Labour is at 7% and Independents and Others at 23%.
The election of Socialist Party’s Paul Murphy in the recent Dublin South-West by-election as part of the Anti-Austerity Alliance raises the issue of uniting the far left to challenge all of the pro-capitalist parties.
