The Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay campaign says that the latest ‘threats’ from Minister Phil Hogan on pursuing Household Charge non-payers should be ignored and insists the Minister is misleading the public on payment figures.
Francis McCafferty of the campaign steering committee said: “We have been wondering where the government was hiding Phil Hogan during the referendum campaign. Now that voting is out of the way, they think it is safe to let him out again.”
“Minister Hogan has said that letters will be sent in the next few weeks to those who have not paid the Household Tax but he has no say in this whatsoever. He knows very well that it is a matter for the local authorities. Donegal County Councillors voted by a large majority not to pursue householders over the tax. A massive 73% of householders in the county did not pay it. The County Council has no mandate or justification to pursue us.
“The Minister continues to issue misleading figures on the payment rates. He has again stated that 58% of householders have paid the charge, based on a figure of 1.6 million households he says must pay the charge. But the real figure is 1.86 million based on an analysis of the 2010 census by Maynooth acedemic Ray Kichener. Additionally Minister Hogan has had to admit in a Dail question that a few hundred landlords have been responsible for 90,000 multiple registrations.
“It is clear that around half of those expected to register, in the region of 900,000 did not do so. That is huge number. It is simply not practical for the authorities to pursue so many of us. We must continue to stick together and refuse to pay.
“If anyone does receive a letter over the next weeks and months they should simply ignore it. It is not a bill. It does not constitute an official notice. It can be recycled with all the other junk mail. Our campaign will be widely distributing our own information newsletter over the coming weeks to keep people up to date with the latest developments.”
