Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

The section deals with exemptions and waivers from the obligation to pay the household charge. However, it does not go far enough. A whole swathe of people have been told that basic social welfare rates are being protected, but at the same time, charges such as this are being imposed on them. Our amendment No. 12 proposed that persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit, supplementary welfare allowance, family income supplement, farm assist - for which the means test has been changed - old age non-contributory pension, disability allowance, disablement benefit, blind pension and so on should not be obliged to pay the charge. These people are not eligible for a waiver under the section as it stands. It is a serious deficiency in the Bill that we are applying a tax which will impose the same obligation on millionaires as on social welfare recipients. The waivers and exemptions simply do not go far enough.