Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Clare County Council is processing applications for third level grants. The council wrote to applicants to identify whether their households had paid the household charge. It is a legal charge.

There is no secret statutory instrument that has a legal basis for the collection of it. This was a voluntary payment and a significant majority of people have paid the household charge. There is a legal requirement to do it. The county council is entitled to ask applicants for further assistance and third level grants if those households have paid the charge. That would be in order. There would be no legal basis to say we can force a person to do this because Clare County Council has pointed out it does not want to see any further delays in the processing of applications.

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