HOUSEHOLD CHARGE:MORE THAN 200,000 people have registered for the €100 household charge, generating about €20 million to date, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has told the Dáil.

March 31st is the deadline for the compulsory payment to be made, and if collected in full it would be worth €160 million, Mr Hogan said. A total of 200,101 properties have been registered.

The Minister said late-payment fees and late-payment interest would apply, and remain as a charge against a property.

Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kitt said the Minister could not operate on the basis of €160 million. The charge was replacing the local government fund of €164 million but “the figures do not add up”.

The Minister said if the €160 million was not collected “the local authorities will have to examine their service plans for the remainder of the year”.

Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherrin said cash was “legal tender” but local authorities “are refusing to accept it and sending people off to get a postal order”. Mr Hogan said he had advocated to the authorities to accept cash.

Socialist Party TD Clare Daly questioned how the Minister could reach the target when only 12 per cent of households had registered and the department could not even deliver leaflets to all homes.

Mr Hogan said he was developing a system with An Post where “it will supply the household charge forms” and these would be available in the next few days.