The Taoiseach has insisted that householders are obliged to pay bin taxes and other service charges, saying that the old argument that they represent excessive taxation is gone.
When our top tax rate was 65 per cent, VAT was 25 per cent and personal allowances were very low, he could understand that argument.
But now, along with Korea and Japan, our tax take was among the lowest in the world.
"Bin taxes are a way of life," said Mr Ahern. "An awful lot of people don't pay them because of the waiver system which is a good system. People with an income problem make their case. If you are poor, you don't have to pay for it, but if you can pay for it, you should.
"But we can't go on trying to deal with effluent and waste and toxins without putting in resources." He also rejected suggestions that a number of recent Government measures indicated that Ireland was becoming a "nanny state".
In relation to new laws to curb alcohol abuse, he said people were perfectly entitled to have a social drink but the Government was concerned about the culture of binge drinking. "We are trying to do our best to deal with that. There is nobody over the top on these issues. We are only trying to make a difference to quality of life in our society. We are not spoilsports."