€38.7m household charge payments still outstanding

More than 387,000 households owe a total of €38.7m on the household charges according to figures from Phil Hogan, the environment minister.

Mr Hogan has confirmed the compliance rate for the payment is now at 76%, with 1.23m homes either paying the €100 or registered to pay the charge.

Figures provided in response to a written question by Joe Higgins TD show the most compliant households are in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, at 89%. Householders from a number of local authorities have a compliance rate of over 80% — Clare, 80.48%; Galway City, 82.56%; Kerry, 80.19%; Mayo, 83.66%; and Sligo, 80.31%. Co Donegal is lowest with 65.8% compliance.

Others below 70% include Louth at 68.64% and Offaly at 69.88%

The number of owners who have registered multiple properties for the household charge is 123,454.

Almost €7m from 70,000 householders has been collected since March, and the provision that household charge arrears for 2012, including penalties and interest, was capped at €130 if paid by Apr 30 last, is understood to have contributed to the recent upsurge in payments.

Outstanding household charge liabilities will, on Jul 1, 2013, be increased to €200 and will become a local property tax liability collectable by the Revenue Commissioners.