Dublin City Council has rejected a suggestion from Independent TD Finian McGrath that "tens of thousands" of householders are avoiding legal action over bin charges by paying a token fee of €20.
Mr McGrath made the claim in the wake of a protest march which saw an estimated 800 walk from Parnell Square to the Custom House on Saturday. Anti- bin tax protesters from across the city heard Mr McGrath and fellow TDs Tony Gregory and Joe Higgins vow to renew the campaign against the charges.
Speaking to The Irish Times after the march, Mr McGrath said people had been bullied and intimidated by the city council's legal actions but were now paying token sums to offset the legal action.
"You pay €20 and the city council spend all their time pestering you for the rest, but they withdraw the legal action. Tens of thousands of people who are opposed to the bin tax are doing this."
For the future he said the campaign would be "going back into the community. I know there are many, many local meetings set up over the coming weeks and the campaign will be renewed".
A spokeswoman for the council last night said the prospect of paying a token €20 instead of the bin charge was "not on".
According to the council, those who have genuine difficulty in paying would be dealt with sympathetically and arrangements may be made to accept payment by instalments. But the spokeswoman said where an arrangement breaks down, or someone stops paying, the council would revert to legal action to secure the whole amount.
Saturday's march was organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions whose spokesman Des Bonass said the campaign was conscious of support from the workers on the bin lorries.
