One of the leaders of a protest against the installation of water meters at a housing estate in Co. Cork says they'll keep their blockade up for as long as it takes.

A man was hospitalised yesterday after a scuffle with contractors at Ashbrook Heights in Togher; Irish Water claims one of its workers was also injured.

The stand-off has been going on for over a week now and the chairman of the Ballyphehane and South Parish anti-water tax group says the protesters are well within their rights to continue their blockade.

John Lonergan told Newstalk's Breakfast that women and children could have been endangered by the actions of workers: