I won’t pay household charge

I intend not to pay any household charge.

I do not object to contributing to my local community and I can currently afford €100. Therefore, I have instead given €100 to the Cork Simon Community.

The Constitution of Ireland protects my right to hold private property. This is not an absolute right. The Constitution allows that this right may be “regulated by the principles of social justice”. I do not see how this law can be enforced when the Government has regularly admitted that it is not a fair system.

I believe, in its current form, this system is not enforceable. Furthermore, I do not see how it will be possible to devise a system that does take account of social justice. If the Government decides to tax my home as an asset, based on its value, then I should highlight that it is not an asset and is in fact a noose, leaving me with around €100,000 in negative equity. Of course, that leaves me quite comfortable with the idea of a lien being placed on the property. The State and the bank can fight it out if I end up unable to keep up my mortgage repayments.

A “value” based system does not reflect proportionate usage of the services it is claimed the charge will support. Some homes will include large families and others will be shared between many working adults. Smaller or single occupancy homes will clearly draw far less on local services, but may have to pay more for them, just because they have increased the value of their property, perhaps by investing in energy efficiency, as encouraged by the Government.

A “value” based system will not take account of ability to pay. The income of one household may have halved in the last few years, while their neighbour’s may have doubled. Will a widow be expected to leave the family home and down-size if her disposable income is not enough to cover the future rating? Now more than ever, property values do not reflect income.

Nor will a “value” based system take account of what households have paid in the past. Five years ago, I paid over €10,000 to the State in the form of stamp duty, for a very modest house. Was that not enough of a property-based contribution? The Department’s website states: “We are one of the last countries in Europe that does not fund local services through local property-based charges.” The minister need not worry. As a people, we are brave enough to sustain being the odd one out on this one.

Finally, it is disingenuous for the Government to suggest that people who object to this charge are trying to get something for nothing. It is not as though these services were not paid for at all before now.

Angela Morris

Douglas

Cork City