Double trouble on benefits front
Wastewater Tank Registrations
The registration site is now up and running at https://www.protectourwater.ie.
All owners of domestic wastewater treatment systems are required to register their systems. What types of systems must be registered? Septic tanks, waste water tanks and treatment systems including bio-cycle units, and non-standard systems, including drains and soakage areas.
In the case of properties that are let the obligation rests with the property owner to register the system. Houses that are unused or unoccupied, but are connected to a septic tank, also must be registered.
Inspections will commence from 2013 onwards on a “risk-based approach”.
Formal notification will be issued by the local authority before any inspection will take place.
The registration fee is normally €50, but there is a reduced fee of €5 if registration is completed within the first three months up to Sept 28. Registration and payment can be done online, alternatively registration can be done in person at your local city or county council office, payment can also be submitted by post together with a registration form, the forms being available from libraries, and city/county council offices.
Registration must be completed by Feb 1, 2013. Late registrations don’t attract automatic penalties, but it is an offence not to register, and penalties can be court applied. Additionally, it will be necessary to obtain a “certificate of registration” when selling or transferring a property.
The certificate of registration will only be issued to those who have registered their domestic waste water system.
Registration lasts five years, and properties must be re-registered after this time, but with no additional registration fee payable.
Taxing child benefit and OAP benefits
On a separate matter, the Irish Examiner carried the story last week of an EU report which highlighted “universal benefits” to pensioners and flat rate child benefit, which is not means tested or taxed, both being areas where — according to the report — better targeting could contain fiscal costs.
On the child benefit, no doubt there is room for improvement here, to paraphrase Michael O’Leary of Ryanair, he doesn’t need a subsidy to have children. However, I would argue that many middle income families do rely on child benefit to part subsidise child care costs which are non-tax deductible for families.
Out of interest, I looked at the rates of child benefit across a number of EU countries (see the accompanying table), and it seems that our rates of child benefit are considerably higher than our nearest neighbour, or the Nordic countries, and are multiples of what is available in eastern EU member states.
The rate in Ireland is lower than that available in Switzerland, but is incredibly more than 12 times what is available in Latvia.
The current system in Ireland offers no encouragement to working parents.
An overhaul reducing child benefit should offer some support in meeting child care costs.
Any changes should address the issue of people becoming stuck in a poverty trap, being better off on welfare than taking up employment or, better still, self-employment.
Perhaps a reduced child benefit but a tax deduction for child care costs or state subsidised crèches, as in other countries, might offer the right balance.
