Defiant words coming from Government’s quarters this morning.
Minister of the Environment Alan Kelly has this morning said that legislation will be brought in to deal with noncompliance, but he was unable to provide a timeline for this legislation or speak about what the potential penalties might be.
Mr. Kelly said that ‘regulations will be brought in to ensure that everyone will be treated the same’.
He also said that there would be a “distinction between those who can’t pay or find it difficult to pay to those who refuse to pay”.
The minister added that the Cabinet would be discussing the timeline of the legislation tomorrow.
When questioned about the large turnout for Saturday’s protest, Mr. Kelly said that ‘he respects the right of people to protest and accepts that mistakes had been made in the setting up of Irish Water.’
He also said “We believe people will engage with Irish Water and pay their bills.”