No added time to pay household tax - Hogan

DATA PROTECTION legislation will be changed if required to secure the collection of the €100 household charge, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has said.

However, he added he expected to establish an agreement with the Data Protection Commission shortly to allow the use of information from utility bills, which would make change in the law unnecessary.

Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Mr Hogan said the March 31st deadline would not be extended and those who refused to pay could find themselves in court.

“Whoever doesn’t pay the charge will be liable for the charge in law and people have to think long and hard about whether they want to be in the courts,” he said.

Latest figures from the Department of the Environment show more than 260,000 out of approximately 1.6 million eligible households have paid the charge.

A department spokesman yesterday said the numbers registering to pay were increasing by about 10,000 a day. Just under 80 per cent had registered online while the remainder had paid by post or in person at city and county council offices.

Mr Hogan said he was “getting on exceptionally well” with the Data Protection Commissioner and expected to have the necessary arrangements in place during the course of the year to use information from electricity and other utility companies to track down those who had yet to pay.

However, he said if there were any difficulties in securing the information needed, the Government would turn its attention to legislative change to ensure the charge could be collected.

“I have the full support of the Government to enact further legislation if necessary to ensure this charge is implemented in full.”

Mr Hogan said his department was working with the departments of Justice and Finance to see where changes to legislation might be needed. Specifically the Data Protection Acts and the fines Acts were being reviewed he said.

Mr Hogan said he was not concerned that the majority of home owners had yet to pay the charge.

The vast majority of people wanted to be compliant, he said. However, he warned there would be no leeway for those who failed to pay on time.

The majority of local authorities would be opening offices on the final payment date, which is a Saturday, to facilitate last minute payers, the department spokesman said.

Campaigners against the charge said Mr Hogan’s comments showed desperation.

The Campaign Against Household Water Taxes, which is organised by the United Left Alliance, said those who claimed householders were waiting till the last minute were “acutely out of touch with the mood of ordinary people”.