Sir, – Not only do those refusing to pay the household charge expose themselves to potential fines of up to €2,500, and a criminal record (John Sugrue, March 29th), but they also face complications regarding the title to their houses themselves.
Section 8 of the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 states, in part, that “[a]ny household charge, late payment fee or late payment interest due and unpaid by an owner of residential property shall . . . be and remain a charge on the property to which it relates”.
In layman’s terms, this means that the property will be difficult to sell until and unless the charge, and any late payment fees and interest, are paid in full by the owner. Furthermore, those who claim that they will pay the charge “over their dead bodies” are, in a way, more right than they know.
In this regard, section 7 of the same Act provides that the executor of a person who passes away while still owing the household charge must pay the charge (and any penalties and interest due as a result) from the estate of that deceased person. These are all matters to be factored in when deciding whether to register for the charge before Saturday’s deadline. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As various Government ministers keep reminding us that we are one of the only countries in Europe without a property tax I presume that they will soon be scrapping VRT, seeing as we are one of the only countries in Europe with it. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – If everybody liable for the tax pays then the amount collected will be sufficient to service the social welfare bill . . . for three days! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I think we have lost our sense of proportion.
A beer once a fortnight for one person costs about €100 per annum. A packet of cigarettes for one person once a month costs about €100 per annum.
Of course there is only one charge of €100 per household, but the services we get free are provided for everyone in the household, whether one or two or three or four or more.
What services? Libraries, street lighting, leisure amenities, fire and emergency services, street maintenance, roads, open spaces, etc. These services cost money, and provide employment. To continue funding them by borrowing will only dig us deeper into the mess we, as a country, created by spending more than our income.
Yes, there are some households for whom €100 every year is very difficult or impossible and these should be treated sympathetically. But for the great majority of households €100 per annum can, and should, be managed.
We as a country can’t just go on spending (and overspending) as we have been doing for years. The time has come when our State can no longer live beyond its means – it either has to generate more income, or cut back on services.
Which would you prefer? – Yours,e tc,
Yours, etc,
Sir, – The reason for the resistance to the household charge is that Irish taxpayers are being dictated to by a bureaucratic system that is bloated, inefficient and self- serving.
There is no confusion about how to pay the charge and the amount is relatively small, but everyone knows that it is the thin edge of the wedge. There is obviously a seething anger out there in the taxpaying section of the population about the way in which our political representatives and public servants have allowed the country to be run into the ground, and that is why the Government is being sent a clear message by the vast majority of households that the new tax is not acceptable.
Our bureaucratic system is now an oversized monster that is in urgent need of severe downsizing.
Without an overhaul of the system any “household charge” that is introduced will rapidly be sucked in and squandered by local authorities; while householders, once registered and plugged in, can look forward to ever increasing demands for “contributions” to continue to fuel the inefficient delivery of public services.
We need to see a coherent plan from Government for a severe pruning and efficiency shake up of the system(as promised when it was touting for votes during the last election) and to see action on that before it even considers having the cheek to come near us demanding more money. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The constant lecturing about compliance through the national broadcaster is farcical, in the aftermath of a litany of corruption, dubious regulation and greed by banks and politicians alike. They don’t expect us to take it seriously do they?
I call for a tribunal: the household charge tribunal, it will be addressed in about four years, barristers will make a lot of money, a lot of hot air will be blown around a room in Dublin Castle and we can all walk out and wring our hands. The result will be we won’t have to pay it and we won’t be liable. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – It is a fundamental universal practice to issue bills/invoices for monies owed. One would have thought that this was even more necessary when the charge is new.
How come 15 Cabinet members announced a household tax in such a way which guaranteed that nobody received an invoice?
What advice was given by all those highly paid special advisers to the Ministers? Many of these advisers have salaries considerably above the agreed “cap” because of their supposed special expertise and experience. Did nobody realise that an invoice is the norm?
What advice was sought from and given by senior civil servants? We have a Minister for Reform. Perhaps he should consider the implications of this totally avoidable episode? Perhaps a few resignations should be offered? – Is mise,
Sir, – Two items on the HSE (Home News & Front page, March 26th), made me think about the household charge.
In one, you reported, “The HSE paid out more than €81 million on negligence claims last year (2011)”; and in the other, you reported, “Up to 500 senior doctors are earning more than €200,000, the former HSE head of human resources has said”.
That comes to €181 million combined. Is there a connection between these two figures? And, if we all pay the new household charge, Phil Hogan will collect €160 million. Will one offset the other? Is this how our legislators do their sums by any chance? –