The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) – the group responsible for collecting the household charge – say they are “happy” with the number of people who have signed up for the controversial charge to date.
The household charge was introduced on January 1st and is a flat fee of €100 for all 1.6 million households nationwide. The government is hopeful that it will bring in €160 in revenue this year but just a month after its introduction, it has been revealed that just 68,045 households have registered.
That equates to just over €6.8 million but still someway off the government’s target ahead of the March 31 deadline.
Speaking about the charge, a spokesperson for the LGMA said: “There’s been no problems since the slight glitch on the first day. I know that we’re happy with the progress so far.”
The charge is the subject of a campaign by politicians and activists who are urging people not to pay the flat tax which is an interim measure before the introduction of a graduated property tax.
The Environment Minister Phil Hogan said yesterday that a group of officials from the civil service would examine how a property tax could be implemented. He said they would report back to him by April of this year with a view to implementing the charge in 2013 or 2014.
People can register for the household charge at www.householdcharge.ie
