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Local Authority Charges

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 January 2012

Thursday, 26 January 2012

Questions (145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160)

Finian McGrath

Question:

142 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if houses in the rental accommodation scheme are exempt from the household charge; if a landlord who has a few of these houses and is making a lot of money is also exempt. [4518/12]

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Written answers

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 subject to commercial rates and wholly used as a dwelling,

Residential property owned by certain charities or discretionary trusts, 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 is no exemption or waiver in the legislation in respect of the rental accommodation scheme.

Nicky McFadden

Question:

143 Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a housing estate (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be exempt from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4524/12]

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David Stanton

Question:

144 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered establishing an appeals process whereby persons living in estates which do not currently qualify for an exemption to the household charge may have their case for exemption heard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4535/12]

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David Stanton

Question:

145 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will examine the possibility of an estate (details supplied) being listed as exempt from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4544/12]

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John Lyons

Question:

146 Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the unfinished estates in areas (details supplied) that are exempt from the household charge in view of the fact that the current list is not specific and refers to areas as well as estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4549/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

156 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4666/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

157 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4709/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

158 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4710/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

159 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4711/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

160 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4712/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

161 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4713/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

162 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath was not exempted from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4714/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

163 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will liaise with Meath County Council to ensure that all category three and four estates in County Meath, in which there are substantial public safety issues, are included in the exemption list for the household charge; if a review will be taking place before the introduction of a property tax to ensure that estates which the council has listed as category three and four are exempted from the tax until such a time as they are compliant with the regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4715/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

164 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the powers county councils have to individually waive a household charge for an estate if that estate, while not on the exemption list, is on the council’s own list of category three and four estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4716/12]

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Dominic Hannigan

Question:

165 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way an estate can request that it be added to the exempted list for the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4717/12]

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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 to 146, inclusive, and 156 to 165, inclusive, together.

As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, launched by my Department in October 2011, local authorities provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows:

Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no serious public safety issues exist;

Category two, where a receiver has been appointed;

Category three, where a receiver has not been appointed and the developer is still in place but effectively inactive; and

Category four, where the development has been effectively abandoned and is posing serious problems for residents.

Other relevant factors for the purposes of the categorization process include, inter alia:

the state of completion of roads, footpaths, public lighting facilities, piped water and sewerage facilities and open spaces or similar amenities within the development;

the extent to which the development complies with the terms of applicable planning permission;

the extent to which it complies with the provisions of the Building Control Acts 1990 and 2007;

the provisions of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 as they pertain to dangerous places and dangerous structures within the meaning of the Act;

the extent to which facilities within the development have been taken in charge by the local authority concerned and

where there is an agreement regarding the maintenance of such facilities, the extent to which this agreement has been complied with.

This categorisation formed the basis for the list of those unfinished developments eligible for a waiver on the annual household charge.

The relevant planning reference of each development is utilised for purposes of my Department's analysis of such developments, and for reference in regard to the ongoing work being carried out by my Department and the local authority sector on the issues facing their residents. Any households resident in an unfinished development prescribed as an unfinished housing estate for the purposes of the Act are covered by the waiver.

Only households in developments in categories three and four are eligible for the waiver from payment of the household charge. This list of developments in which households are eligible for the waiver in 2012 is set out under the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 and forms the complete and final list of such developments for this year. A revised list of estates will be prescribed for 2013 after which time the waiver for unfinished housing developments will end. Throughout this period it is anticipated that the numbers of categories 3 and 4 developments will decrease significantly as my Department continues to work with local authorities and other stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues, including through the Public Safety Initiative.

Sean Fleming

Question:

147 Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will put arrangements in place whereby persons can pay the household charge on a quarterly basis when they do not have access to payments by computer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4587/12]

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There is a range of options available for persons to pay the household charge. An online system www.householdcharge.ie is in place in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to enable homeowners to pay the household charge by credit/debit card or in four instalments by direct debit. In addition, homeowners can make payment by cheque, postal order, credit/debit card or in four instalments by direct debit by completing the relevant payment details on the declaration form and posting it to Household Charge, PO Box 12168, Dublin 1. Instalment payments are available by direct debit only and persons opting to pay in this way must register their details by 1 March, 2012.

A bureau is in place in the LGMA to administer the charge on a shared service/agency basis for all local authorities. In addition, all county/city councils have been requested to have arrangements in place for persons to attend their principal offices to pay the household charge up to 31 March, 2012. I am satisfied that there is a comprehensive suite of payment options available to persons with a liability to pay the household charge.

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