Ms Josephine Feehily:

They have complied because they have submitted their returns on time and ticked the service provider box. We are not asking people who pick a service provider option to pay by 1 January. This is what I meant when I referred to having flexibility at the margins. Once people have made the commitment to us and given us the mandates that we need, we can be flexible. We have given so many options that, no matter what a person's circumstances are, there is an option that fits. It seems to me that people want to fit the options to the plastic card. I cannot go that far, as the plastic card system has different characteristics, particularly as regards giving us authority to debit. If someone wants to pay a lump sum after Christmas, he or she has at least two options - service provider or single debit authority - and can pick any date between now and 21 March. I will give them these two options.