Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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487. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will require the household charge support unit to provide a breakdown of the number of letters sent, phone calls answered, and e-mails dealt with this year in relation to the €200,000 it has received from the local government fund. [31171/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provided the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date is liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. The Charge has operated on a self-assessment basis with an owner of a residential property determining liability and paying the Charge.

The Household Charge was operational in respect of 2012 only, with arrears and penalties in respect of a 2012 liability being collected by local authorities, assisted by the Local Government Management Agency on a shared services/agency basis up to and including 30 June 2013. Household Charge operational matters are a matter for the relevant local authority or for the Agency, including the issuing of certificates of waiver or exemption, refunds due in respect of overpayments made prior to 30 June 2013, and all associated queries. The 2011 Act allows owners of residential property to apply for a Certificate of Discharge or Exemption or Waiver for the Household Charge. Effectively, these Certificates continue to be provided by the Household Charge Bureau on behalf of Local Authorities. A provision of €200,000 has been set aside from the Local Government Fund in 2014 in respect of Household Charge administrative costs.

The Local Government Management Agency have informed me that they have received in excess of 25,000 phone calls, letters and emails in respect of Household Charge administrative matters so far in 2014 and that approximately 22% of the correspondence received remains to be dealt with. They are continuing to deal with the queries and issues raised in the correspondence with a view to resolving all outstanding matters as soon as possible.