Household Charge 'not fair', admits Taoiseach
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has today admitted that the €100 Household Charge is not fair and will have to be replaced with a property tax.
He also moved to re-assure the public that that the planned property tax will be fair and affordable.
He has refused to be drawn on speculation in recent days that the annual property tax from 2013 could be in excess of €1,000.
"The Household Charge is a flat charge across the board and clearly that’s not fair across the board either," he said.
"We await the report of the expert group, as I say we want this to be fair, we want it to be affordable, and we want it to be one that people can plan for.
"So I’ve heard figures mentioned, but there's no decision on the scale of what the tax will be."
The Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes, which includes a number of TDs and groups representing homeowners, said that thousands of people will be unable to pay the charge.
The group is vowing to step up its campaign with meetings around the country next month and a national day of strike action being considered.
"I think the Government have underestimated the ill-feeling towards this," said Independent TD Mick Wallace.
"There’s just such a lack of fairness, in so many ways. Too many people are in a difficult place, and this is an unfair imposition on them."
