Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins could face imprisonment today if Fingal County Council is successful in its High Court petition to have the anti-bin charge protester and his colleague Cllr Clare Daly jailed or fined for breaching court orders.
The pair have been leading protests against the bin charge in Dublin since last week, when the council decided to stop collecting bins from residents who had not paid the charge.
They are due to be charged this morning with breaking an interim order sought by the council prohibiting their involvement in obstructing rubbish collections by council workers.
Mr Higgins said yesterday he was not in a position to stop the campaign against the waste charge and while he did not wish to face imprisonment or fines, he felt he had a duty to those campaigning.
"It is now a widespread campaign and it is going to continue. It is the only effective way for the people to fight the bin tax and as an elected representative, I'm duty bound to support them."
He said it was not lost on people that the council was threatening to jail him while none of the Ansbacher tax-cheats were even taken to court.
The High Court proceedings come as Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council began issuing letters this week to 30 per cent of householders who owe waste charges of €275. They will be given 10 days to pay before the council discontinues their waste collection service.
Yesterday protesters in Fingal continued their campaign, despite the injunction and blocked bin lorries in Santry, Kinsealy and River Valley in Swords.
