Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is also worth noting that those found not guilty of criminal offences, having spent €100,000 defending themselves in the Circuit Court, do not get their money back. They could be taken to court again and again for things of which they are not guilty and, subsequently, effectively bankrupted. The entire case will cost the State and the taxpayers millions of euro. That is the result of decisions of An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue this vindictive prosecution in the first place and then to prosecute it in the Circuit Court where the costs are much higher.

Water charges are now being suspended. All criminal charges - not just ours - relating to the protests should be dropped. They should stop this persecution of protestors and massive waste of taxpayers' money. If the Deputies are really interested in taxpayers' money, that is what they would be calling for.

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