Varadkar hopes most will pay house tax

A Cabinet minister says he hopes most homeowners would pay the household charge by the end-of-March deadline but conceded that a number will not until the end of the year.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar is the first minister to admit that the charge will not be paid by all homeowners as the deadline approaches in the next 10 days.

Yesterday, he called on homeowners to obey the law but also said he hoped those objecting to the levy would eventually sign up to the charge by the end of the year.