I propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 567 and 577 together.
The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides for a number of exemptions and waivers from payment of the household charge. The exemptions from payment of the household charge are—
Residential properties that are part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since construction,
Residential property owned by a Minister of the Government, a housing authority or the Health Service Executive,
Voluntary and co-operative housing,
Residential property to which commercial rates apply,
Residential property owned by a charity or a discretionary trust, and
Residential property which an owner has vacated due to long-term mental or physical infirmity (e.g. elderly person that has moved into a nursing home).
The waivers which apply concern —
Owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement, and
Owners of houses in certain unfinished housing estates.
There are no exemptions or waivers in the legislation in respect of persons who are wards of court or those who have to pay management fees for their estates.
The Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 includes a provision which requires the owners of premises connected to a domestic wastewater treatment system to ensure that the system is registered with their local authority. I will be making regulations setting the level of the fee payable by an owner when applying to register following the enactment of the legislation. The Bill provides that the fee will not exceed €50. There are no plans to exempt any categories of persons from the registration fee.