Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

As Deputy Martin said, I acknowledged last week and repeat that there have been difficulties associated with people making arrangements to pay the charge. It must also be said that nobody likes paying a tax or charge, particularly if it is new. In this case, as Deputy Martin knows, the charge has been introduced because the agreement his Government made with the troika provided for the introduction of a property tax in 2012. It would not have been possible to introduce a property tax in 2012 because of the preparatory work that must be done to establish the basis on which it would be charged. The Government's intention is that this household charge will be replaced by a property tax. In the meantime, it must be paid. The deadline set is 31 March. That deadline has not been changed. The best advice anybody can give to households is that the charge must be paid, before the deadline of 31 March.

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