Leaflet delay may see households miss direct debit deadline

A delay in the Government’s nationwide leaflet delivery on the household charge could result in thousands of householders missing the opportunity to pay by direct debit.

Anyone who wants to pay the €100 charge in four installments by direct debit must register to do so before midnight tonight.

But it emerged last night that thousands of the Government’s information leaflets on the tax have yet to be delivered to homes around the country.

Tonight’s direct debit deadline is among several key pieces of information contained in the leaflet.

The Department of the Environment said yesterday the distribution of the leaflets will conclude “over the next day or so”.

“We arranged for the printing of two million leaflets,” a department spokesman said. “200,000 were for distribution to local authorities, libraries, etc. The leaflet drop is almost completed nationwide with deliveries concluding in the next day or so.”

He declined to reveal details of the printing or delivery costs, which he said “are commercially sensitive”.

The leaflets were printed by Wood Printcraft in Coolock, Dublin, and are being distributed by City Post.

“City Post have provided us with delivery schedules and they will provide us with data confirming deliveries,” the spokesman said.

“In addition, we have already placed adverts in the national and regional newspapers advising people of the charge and the relevant deadlines.

“We will also have adverts on radio during the month of March advising of the final date of March 31 for registration and payment of the fee.”

Environment Minister Phil Hogan has warned the law of the land will be applied to those who do not pay the charge.

The household charge legislation has provisions to allow the use of databases of other state bodies by the Local Government Management Agency, which is overseeing collecting the charge, as well as city and county councils, so they can access data for the purposes of following up non-payment of the charge.