Household charge payments exceed 515,000

Over 32% have now paid the household charge, with 515,600 having forked out the €100 by 4pm today.

However that figure remains well short of the 1.6 million households eligible for payment before the deadline tomorrow.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) however said a further 91,000 applications have been received by post and have yet to be processed, which along with 11,000 waivers brings the compliance rate to over 38%.

LGMA Chief Executive Paul McSweeny insisted the €100 will be going directly to local communities.

"The money goes directly into what's called (the) local government fund in the Department of the Environment," he said.

"It doesn't go to the Exchequer.

"It goes into this fund which is then redistributed back out to local authorities and will be spent on local services.

"People need have no fears about that - the money that they pay is going back into their local services, it's not going anywhere else.

However, Rita Harold from the campaign against the tax is accusing the Government of being in denial of a mass boycott.

"They are trying to portray that what we have going on at the moment is mass forgetfulness," she said.

"What's actually happening is a mass boycott of this ridiculous charge… because people are furious."

6pm update: Some 522,893 households had paid the charge by 6pm, the LGMA said.

The agency said further updates on compliance levels would continue tomorrow, payment deadline day.