Martin won’t discipline brother over house levy
Fianna Fáil policy is that people should pay the €100 charge given that it is the law of the land.
However, earlier this week, Seán Martin, a long-serving councillor and former lord mayor of Cork, admitted he had not paid the charge. He also said he had no plans to do so, describing it as a “divisive and socially unfair” brushstroke measure that had “no respect to income” or people’s circumstances.
Despite Cllr Martin contravening party policy on the issue, Fianna Fáil says it is a “personal” decision and that the party has no plans to discipline him.
A spokesman for Micheál Martin said: “Fianna Fáil has serious difficulties in the way that the Government has designed and sought to enforce the household charge legislation. We have called for greater flexibility in implementation and a greater number of exemptions to recognise the severe financial difficulties faced by many families.
“Fianna Fáil has encouraged people to pay the charge, but understands the inability of many to meet the demand and the personal decision of others to withhold payment in protest.
“We believe that if the Government takes Fianna Fáil’s advice, the numbers of people in both categories will be dramatically reduced.
“Cllr Seán Martin has made it clear that he respects party policy on the issue and that his decision to withhold payment is a personal one.”
Asked if Fianna Fáil believed it was right for councillors in general, who get salaries and expenses from taxpayers, to refuse to pay the charge, the spokesman said: “No.”
The party position “is clear — people should pay it”, he added.
However, he insisted it was a personal issue for Cllr Martin and that the party could not examine the financial circumstances of members who declared they were not paying the charge.
Fianna Fáil in government agreed to introduce a property tax under the original terms and conditions of the 2010 EU/ECB/IMF bailout.
Its successors in government, the Fine Gael-Labour coalition, decided to introduce the household charge as a precursor to a property tax until the necessary evaluation systems were in place for the latter.
However, Fianna Fáil criticised aspects of the household charge when it was introduced.
The party called unsuccessfully for this year’s Mar 31 deadline for payment to be extended. It also called unsuccessfully for more exemptions to be introduced.
Homeowners who have not yet paid their household charge will get warning letters in the post next month.
Householders must receive such a letter reminding them to pay the charge before local authorities can instigate legal proceedings for non-payment.
Staff from the Non-Principal Private Residence agency, the Private Residential Tenancies Board, Revenue Commissioners, Social Protection, and ESB Networks have been sharing information to work out who still has not registered and paid the charge.
Household Charge Project Board chairman Jackie Maguire said penalties and interest are accruing for those who do not pay. “We are encouraging people to register their properties as soon as possible before additional charges apply.”
To date, nearly 925,000 properties have registered for the charge and €92.9m has been raised.
The deadline before which the charge was to be paid was Mar 31. However, another 40,282 properties have since registered for the charge and paid interest and penalties of between €11 and €13.
Latest figures from the Local Government Management Agency show that in the Dublin City local authority area, 63% of householders had paid by June 13.
The figure is even higher in Dún Laoighaire/Rathdown, where 78% have forked out for the charge, while compliance in Fingal stands at 57%.
In Cork City, the figure stands also at 57% and in Co Cork at 52.5%.
In Co Kerry, 60% have paid, in Limerick City, 58% have paid, and just 45% have paid in Co Donegal.
— Claire O’Sullivan
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