Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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475. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of those liable to pay the household charge that have now done so; the number that have paid after the original deadline; and the amount of money that has been collected in penalties, on a local authority basis. [25514/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date is liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. It is a matter for an owner of a residential property to determine liability and pay the Charge. The Local Government Management Agency is administering the Household Charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils.

I understand from data provided by the Agency that as of 24 May 2013 the total number of registrations for the Household Charge is 1,244,489. Payments have been registered in respect of 1,220,576 liable properties and waivers have been registered in respect of a further 23,913 liable properties. The number of estimated liable properties for the Household Charge is 1,620,814, and therefore the compliance rate is in excess of 76.7%

1 January 2012 was the liability date for the Household Charge. Under section 5 of the 2011 Act and associated Regulations, liable owners were required to make payment within 3 months of the liability date, i.e. by 31 March 2012. I am advised by the Agency that, by 31 March 2012, payments were registered in respect of 621,717 liable properties and waivers were registered in respect of a further 12,677 liable properties.

The table below, again based on data provided by the Agency, details the penalties collected in respect of the Household Charge by local authority area, as of 24 May 2013.