Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I am sorry. I thought the scripts had been distributed.

Similar to the €200 charge on non-principal private residences, an online system was developed by the Local Government Management Agency to enable homeowners to pay the household charge on the Internet. In addition, homeowners can make payment by cheque or postal order. More than 60% of those who have paid to date have done so via the online system, which has the advantage of being convenient for the public as well as minimising administrative costs associated with the charge to the State.

The proceeds of the household charge are paid directly into the local government fund. Moneys are disbursed back to local authorities from the fund in general purpose grants based on the grant allocations made to local authorities, taking account of the need for appropriate equalisation. The budgets of local authorities have been passed on the basis of receipts from the household charge.

A number of exemptions to the household charge apply. These include properties that are part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since their construction and residential property owned by a Minister of the Government. Some poor souls thought that the private dwellings of Ministers were exempt but that is not the case. I am sorry to disappoint those who suggested that.

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