This article is from page 23 of the 2012-02-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
THE HOUSEHOLD charge will have no implication whatsoever on local services.
That was the message that came from the February meeting of Kilrush Town Council, with councillors maintaining that the tax has not been thought out beyond what it can financially redeem.
Town clerk John Corry told councillors, “It is giving the understanding that it is an extra funding that is being made available, which is not the case.”
Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) questioned the cost to the local authority of collecting this tax that will provide no extra funding to local services.
Caroline O’Connor, Management Accountant at Clare County Council, explained that the household charge is collected centrally with all monies collected remitted directly to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
“Consequently this new charge has no impact on the council’s budget for 2012,” she said.
“Income arising from the new charge will allow a reduction by an equivalent amount of the cost of the centrally controlled local government fund.
“This fund is paid out to local authorities and supports that provision of local services for example public parks, libraries, open spaces and leisure amenities, planning and development, fire and emergency services, maintenance and cleaning of streets and street lighting.”
However, there will be an administrative cost to the council, a cost that cannot yet be calculated.
“Local Authorities were only made aware on December 20, that they would have a role in collecting this money, as we are only a month on from this it is difficult at this stage to establish the total administrative cost to the council of collecting this charge,” said Ms O’Connor.
“It is expected that these costs will become more apparent as the dead- line for the due date draws nearer and procedures for collection post March are clarified.”
“I don’t think any of us here would be against local taxes if it supported local services,” said Cllr Prendev ille.
“I don’t think the minister is being strictly honest when he introduced this,” he said.
“The elected members and manager are very aware of the public’s resistance to the new household charge.
“Socialist elements, on weekend surfing jaunts to West Clare, and egged on by Dublin’s ‘Reds-underthe-Beds’ brigade, are stirring up matters on the local front.
They realise that this charge is a prelude to a full-blown property tax on domestic dwellings coming down the tracks on the instructions of the Troika. If there is to be a local taxation to pay for local services, then let the Minister be upfront with his new stealth taxes,” added Cllr Prendeville.
“Otherwise, the public will have strong grounds for believing that the € 160 million to be collected from the household charge will be interpreted as our initial contribution to the recent € 1.2 billion paid out to unsecured bondholders last month.”
Owners of residential properties are expected to register and pay the household charge of € 100 on or before March 31.