Anger against water tax shakes up Ireland

Dublin

MASS protests against new water taxes set to be introduced in Ireland from Jan 1 have shown up deep wells of resentment after years of austerity, even as the economy rebounds.

Unease about the charges, agreed as a condition for Ireland's EU-IMF bailout, is threatening the current coalition government which came to power at the height of the financial crisis in 2011.

"These new charges are coming at a time when the government is continually saying we're in a recovery," socialist la…