COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 12, 2012

QUESTION NO. 18

QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

To ask the Manager for a report on the number of households, in relation to the 2012 Household Charge:

(a)            Are entitled to a Waiver

(b)            Have paid to date

(c)             Have yet to pay

And to make a statement on the matter including the effects if any on Council Services?

REPLY:

Section 4(4) of the Local Government ( Household Charge ) Act 2011 provides for a waiver from payment of the household charge if the owner of a residential property

(a)            is entitled to mortgage interest supplement, or

(b)            the residential property is located in a prescribed unfinished housing estates

The numbers of residential property owners in the administrative area of South Dublin who are entitled or in receipt of the mortgage interest supplement is not known. However 427 waivers were processed by the 6th of November for property owners in this category.  There are no prescribed unfinished housing estates in the Council’s administrative area.

51,154 property owners had paid the Household charge by 6 November and as an additional 427 waivers had been processed for applicants this left approximately 30,241 property owners who have yet to register and pay for the household charge for their residential property.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government circular Fin 11/ 2012 noted that a local government fund reduction not exceeding €84,820 (i.e. 0.5% to the original LGF 2012 allocation), will affect South Dublin if Household Charge compliance does not match or exceed 65% for the county by mid November 2012.   The Council has made significant efforts to advise property owners of their liability to this charge and to provide them with a range of payment options including online at wwww.householdcharge.ie, at the Council offices in Tallaght and the Civic Centre Clondalkin, via the post to PO Box 12168, Dublin 1 and by direct debit. Approximately 63.04% of property owners in the South Dublin administrative area had paid the Household Charge by 6th of November 2012 and the charge continues to be collected from late registered property owners.  South Dublin Council wrote to 22,500 property owners in October to advise them of potential unpaid liability to the charge and the penalties which accrue for late payment.  These homeowners were identified using property registration information supplied by the Property Registration Authority (PRA). 

If compliance does not equal or exceed 53,184 properties (65% of estimated liable properties) by mid November it is likely that an adjustment of €84,820 will be applied to the Local Government Fund allocation for 2012.  If this income adjustment is applied it will be included in the revised budget 2012 for discussion with the members as part of the 2013 Budget process.