Clare Householders To Receive Household Charge Payment Reminders

Oct. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- The letters being issued are based on information taken from the Property Registration Authority compiled by the LGMA.

Up to this week (23 October, 2012), 69% of householders in Clare have paid the charge, which was introduced by the Government in the 2012 budget.

All owners of residential property in Ireland are liable for the household charge on each residential property they own, as at 1st January 2012. The Government has said that revenues from the Household Charge will be forwarded to the Exchequer, and will be later distributed to Local Authorities throughout Ireland to support the provision of local services such as public parks, libraries, open spaces and leisure amenities, planning and development, fire and emergency services; and street cleaning and lighting.

Niall Barrett, Head of Finance, Clare County Council, explained: “69% of householders in Clare have so far paid the Household Charge, representing one of the higher compliance rates in comparison to the 33 other local authority areas. The responsibility is on all residential property owners to pay. The amount now due including late payment fees and interest is €127 per property and this amount will continue to increase on the 1st of each month per property until the charge is paid.”

Mr. Barrett explained that the LGMA has carried out a comparison between the data on the Property Registration Agency database and those that have registered and paid, or obtained a waiver, in relation to the Household Charge.

He continued: “The comparison exercise was carried out for a very large number of households across the country with properties that did not match exactly in both databases being listed to receive a letter. Thus, if the information provided at the time of registration for the household charge does not match exactly the information provided at the time the property was registered then a letter will issue. Examples of items that may give rise to such mismatches include the use of abbreviations in one case and not in the other, changes of name due to marriage, changes in spelling of townlands, and the addition of house names to addresses.

“It should be noted that a large number of houses are owned jointly by married couples. This will mean that as each person who is a joint owner is liable for the household charge there will be two letters issuing to such households. The letter will provide contact details for the resolution of any issues arising from the receipt of the letters.

“The Government has stressed that it is in the interests of Local Authorities to ensure that the charge is collected. Local services will be impacted if the projected 160 million euro in Household Charge revenue is not received by the Exchequer. This is evidenced by the recent Government decision to withhold part of the General Purpose Grant Allocation of the Local Government Fund from Clare County Council,” Mr. Barrett concluded.

The Household Charge can be paid online by credit/debit card at www.householdcharge.ie, by cheque/Postal Order/Bank Drafts at a local authority office, or by posting forms to Household Charge, PO Box 12168, Dublin 1. Clare County Council is accepting payment at New Road, Ennis, and at the following area offices: Kilrush, Shannon, Ennistymon, Scariff, Ennis and South East Clare.