Home charge fines will be taken from pay

People who do not pay the household charge will have fines taken straight from their wages, Justice Minister Alan Shatter has confirmed.

He was responding to claims by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore that an amendment to the Fines Act, due later this year, would not be used where people had failed to pay the €100 a year charge.

The Labour Party leader was responding to a question from Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald on whether or not the new laws would be used “to enable fines to be deducted from citizens’ wages or welfare payments” in relation to the household charge.

Mr Gilmore replied: “Legislation along the lines described by Deputy McDonald has not been promised or considered by the Government, and there is no proposed legislation of that nature.”

Ms McDonald subsequently asked Mr Shatter to clarify the position.

In a written response, the justice minister said that while there were “no plans for legislation relating specifically to the collection of fines in respect of household charges”, the fines would be treated in the same way as any other.

“The Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate for fines to be collected by attachment of earnings or deduction from social welfare benefits,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Tánaiste said he and Mr Shatter were of the same mind on the subject.

Discussions are taking place between the Departments of Justice and Social Protection on how fines can be deducted from welfare payments.

“I expect to be in a position to bring forward legislative proposals to give effect to the commitment once those consultations have been concluded,” said Mr Shatter.