Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

Apart from the previously aired issues regarding the household charge, namely, that it is unfair and inequitable and we have had examples quoted of the millionaire having to pay the same amount as the unemployed person in negative equity, has the Minister any plans to take it to the next level where local authorities which collect the charge in their areas would administer and spend it in their areas? The current position does not sit well with people whereby they pay the money and it goes into a central fund in Dublin. On many occasions the Minister has equated the payment of the household charge to the running of parks and so on in local authority areas but people do not see it like that. It is a local tax and is locally collected.

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