Local Authorities Now Pursuing €70m In Outstanding Household Fees

Newly published figures show that 924,884 households paid the controversial Household Charge.

However local authorities will now be responsible for persuing the €100 charge in respect of some 700,000 outstanding properties across the State.

By the time of the deadline, which was March 31, a total of 884,602 had paid, a figure which was revised upwards from a total of 805,569 households announced at the time.

A further 40,282 properties registered and paid penalties and interest of between €11 and €13 in addition to the €100 charge after that date, the authority said. A total of 17,219 properties have been registered for waivers.

An estimated 1.6 million properties were eligible for the charge according to 2011 Census data and the fee was expected to generate some €160 million to go towards local authority funding.

The latest figures suggest €92.9 million has been collected to date, which means there is currently a shortfall of €70 million in local authority funding for the year.

The authority said it has now begun the process of analysing data to identify householders who have not yet registered and paid the charge.

It said its members had legislative powers to bring legal proceedings for offences but that those who have not paid would be written to and given the opportunity to pay before action is taken.

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