Having been kept away during the referendum campaign, and having recently enjoyed almost a week-long break in a luxurious Rio hotel at our expense, the Minister for Austerity Taxes, Phil Hogan, is once again trying to bully the many septic tank charge boycotters.

As we face into the last two weeks before the deadline for payment of the household charge, it is inevitable that there will be an intensified advertising campaign on behalf of the Government to both encourage and intimidate people to register and pay.