Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I raised the issue of the household charge yesterday. Every day that passes shows the current method of attempting to collect it is failing. The information campaign is negligible and the Government is not speaking with one voice. The Tánaiste seemed, to put it mildly, confused yesterday afternoon when answering questions about how individuals would go about paying the charge

To be constructive, I call on the Government to support the call from the Irish Postmasters' Union. Its general secretary, Mr. Brian McGahan, has asked that the 1,100 post offices in the country be allowed to take payments in cash across counters. We have a post office network which should be used. I am getting calls, as I am sure everyone else is, from people all over the country wondering how, when and where to pay the charge.

This is an unmitigated disaster and does not give me any confidence in how the Government can manage in the future with a fully fledged property tax. It is the first year of payment, but the Government has to realise the current system is not working. Fewer than 20% of households, or 300,000, have paid. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, which will be supported by my colleagues in Sinn Féin, that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, comes to the House and explains to us whether he will extend the deadline, which he should, and allow people to access the 1,100 post offices around the country to pay the charge. A law has been passed by the Oireachtas and should be abided by. The campaign has been a disaster.

I welcome the comments of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, yesterday that some progress appears to have been made on the promissory note payment due at the end of this month. I and my party welcome that. There is an important meeting of the ECB governing council today. We need to see the detail of this. The Minister seemed quite confident yesterday that some arrangement would be made. We will obviously reserve judgment on the arrangement until it comes to fruition. I wish the Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank well today in their negotiations with the ECB governing council.

Yesterday was an important day in the Seanad. We had a very good Private Members' debate which became a bit heated at times. Some people got a little hot under the collar.