Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 387: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will examine the possibility of utilising An Post's nationwide network to enable house owners to pay the household charge through their local post office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15559/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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An Post is assisting in broadening the number of local outlets where the household charge declaration form is available. The declaration form is available outside the counter in the network of 1,152 local post offices. Persons may complete the declaration and forward it to the central payment bureau at Household Charge, PO Box 12168, Dublin 1.

There is a range of other options available for persons to pay the household charge. An online system www.householdcharge.ie is in place in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to enable homeowners to pay the household charge by credit/debit card. In addition, homeowners can make payment by cheque, postal order or by credit/debit card by completing the relevant payment details on the declaration form and posting it to Household Charge, PO Box 12168, Dublin 1. Instalment payments were available by direct debit only and persons opting to pay in this way had to register their details before 1 March, 2012.

A bureau is in place in the LGMA to administer the charge on a shared service/agency basis for all local authorities. In addition, all county/city councils have been requested to have arrangements in place for persons to attend their principal offices to pay the household charge up to 31 March, 2012.

I am satisfied that there is a comprehensive suite of payment options available to persons to pay the household charge. I have no proposals to extend these further to post offices.