"POST OFFICE PAYMENT OPTION A MUST FOR HOUSEHOLD CHARGE" SAYS RYAN
Posted on February 22, 2012 12:09 PM | Permanent Link
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party TD for Dublin North, has urged Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan to include the post office as a payment option for the Household Charge.
In response to a Parliamentary Question tabled by Deputy Ryan, Minister Hogan said he was satisfied that there is a "comprehensive suite of payment options" available to persons with a liability to pay the household charge. However, Deputy Ryan has received a large number of enquiries from older people and those who live in rural North County Dublin who either do not have Internet access nor is it convenient for them to travel to their local authority office, upwards of twenty miles away. Deputy Ryan states "if this is a problem for North County Dublin then it must be an even greater problem in rural Ireland where the distances to local authority offices are even greater."
Ryan continued "I agree that the payment options online are very convenient for those with internet access however a large number of older people and those who live in rural areas are frustrated at the lack of "bricks and mortar" options available for them to pay the charge. Many people have phoned my office frustrated at their inability to be able to pay their household charge in their local post office, where they pay the rest of their household bills."
Ryan "I am disappointed the Minister did not seek to include the post office as a payment option as it would have been very convenient for a great many people. Also I am sure it would have resulted in a higher number of registrations and payments at this point. I will be writing to the Minister this week asking him to revisit his answer to my Parliamentary Question with a view to bringing the post office "within the comprehensive suite of payment options"."
Notes for Editors
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he has taken to make the household charge payable in local post offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Brendan Ryan.
For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 21st February, 2012.
Ref Nos: 9204/12, 9506/12 and 9837/12
REPLY
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. P. Hogan)
I propose to take Question Nos. 437, 455 and 478 together.
The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislative basis for the household charge.
There is a range of options available for persons to pay the household charge. An online system www.householdcharge.ie is in place in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to enable homeowners to pay the household charge by credit/debit card or in four instalments of €25 by direct debit. In addition, homeowners can make payment by cheque, postal order, credit/debit card or in four instalments of €25 by direct debit by completing the relevant payment details on the declaration form and posting it to Household Charge, PO Box 12168, Dublin 1. Instalment payments are available by direct debit only and persons opting to pay in this way must register their details by 1 March, 2012.
A bureau is in place in the LGMA to administer the charge on a shared service/agency basis for all local authorities. In addition, all county/city councils have been requested to have arrangements in place for persons to attend their principal offices to pay the household charge up to 31 March, 2012.
I am satisfied that there is a comprehensive suite of payment options available to persons with a liability to pay the household charge and this is being demonstrated by the large numbers of persons who have registered and paid the household charge to date.
ENDS
For information contact Duncan Smith 087 9862686 or 618 3421
www.labour.ie/press