PEOPLE WHO fail to pay the new €100 household charge face having the fine (of up to €2,500) for non-payment deducted from wages or social welfare payments rather than being jailed under measures to be introduced shortly.
The Government’s approach means TDs who are boycotting the new charge are unlikely to be imprisoned and the sum due could be deducted from their €93,000 salary.
The number of Opposition deputies who say they will not pay the charge grew to at least 15 yesterday, as more Sinn Féin deputies adopted the stance of the group of nine Independent and United Left Alliance TDs who are campaigning against the Government’s proposals.
The Fines Act 2010 introduced measures to prevent the automatic imprisonment of people who fail to pay fines, and is being phased in.
Last month, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said he intended to introduce a system of “attachment orders” allowing money to be taken from wages or social welfare payments to pay a debt or fine over time.
A spokesman for Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, who is introducing the new household tax, said Mr Shatter’s proposals would mean the charge could be stopped from defaulters’ wages or social welfare. There was no provision in the legislation implementing the charge for non-payers to be imprisoned.
Despite the political campaign against the measure, Mr Hogan’s spokesman said the Minister was “super-confident” the target revenue of €160 million would be reached.
The spokesman also confirmed that a €10 charge is being introduced for people who pay their non-principal private residence charge at a local authority office rather than online. The extra charge is being levied because of the administrative workload this involves.