John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I thank Deputy Hogan for his amendment. The central issue concerns the body or organisation within the public service that is best suited to administer the €200 charge. I assume that Fine Gael's opposition to sections 9, 10 and 11 is based on the principle behind the group of amendments, the purpose of which is to substitute the Revenue Commissioners for local authorities in administering the collection of the charge.

I fully accept that we must administer our public services as best we can. I also accept the Office of the Revenue Commissioners is a very efficient organisation that has made major strides in recent years in facilitating compliant taxpayers to discharge their liabilities with the minimum of fuss and red tape. I have no doubt that had this function been assigned to the Revenue Commissioners, the organisation would have put in place effective management and arrangements to implement the charge. Equally, I am in no doubt that local authorities will do a very efficient job in putting into effect the legislation.

A project board was set up by the local authorities after the 2009 budget to plan for the introduction of the charge. The Local Government Computer Services Board was asked to design a website, similar in concept to the motor tax on-line website, to accept Internet payments. This site will be up and running in time for the liability date of 31 July 2009. Other arrangements continue to be put in place in local authorities to facilitate the smooth and effective implementation of the new charge. I encourage all concerned to use the website to discharge liabilities to pay the charge. This is in everybody's interest, especially those obliged to pay it. The website is efficient and user friendly and will make life easier and simpler for those who avail of it. For those who cannot or will not use this facility, local authorities will accept payments at their local offices.

There is an inherent logic to paying the charge to local authorities, given that these bodies will retain and deploy the revenue stream that arises. This is a major step forward for local authorities towards securing a genuinely local source of revenue that will reduce their dependency on central government funding.

I await with interest the report of the Commission on Taxation. One of its terms of reference requires it to consider options for the future funding of local government. I have every confidence the commission will do its work thoroughly. It will be very interesting to see the conclusions and recommendations it reaches.

I stated in the Seanad that I have no doubt but that the local authorities will do a very good job collecting the revenue. From 31 July onwards, they will be seeking the revenue and will do so because it will be in their interest. When one provides the local authorities with such an incentive, they generally step up to the plate. While the local authorities are not immune to the cutbacks across all sectors of society, one can be assured the revenue will be collected very efficiently as a result of the changes to the way we operate at local government level.

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