Household Charge Protest Meeting Old Ground Hotel 06.02.12

[Social Conscience]

Call me the cynic, but this movement promoted by the Left will be bought out by a new formula that stipulates that more than 50% of all households will be exempt, another large prportion to pay some cursory amount and fewer than 10% of the population ("the rich" - booooo) will pay a very large amount (out of the paltry 50% of earning that isn't aklready taken at source from that cohort)

Higgins and co. will be well satisfied with that result.

I wouldn't call you a cynic at all, more of a realist. I had zero interest in listening to Higgins and Collins last night. They are trying to win votes but some of us can make up our own minds thankfully.

[Social Conscience]

Hopefully slopping out in Mountjoy won't scar me!

It will never get to that but I think having a gym in my new 'home' would be so very cool. Just call me Bubba!!!!

[fenian john]

Did not know this meeting was on, was it well advertised? I know my parents in their fifties have not registered and will resist this as far as they can.

[luvmycountry]

Not that many Exemptions from what I can see:

Exemptions
Dwellings are exempt from the Household Charge if they are:

Part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since construction or
Owned by government departments or the Health Service Executive or
Owned by local authorities or voluntary housing bodies (including dwellings not yet fully bought from a local authority under the shared ownership scheme) or
Liable for commercial rates or
In a discretionary trust or owned by an approved charity.
Mobile homes are also exempt. (too bad!)
Your property is also exempt from the charge if you had to vacate it for over a year before the liability date due to a long-term mental or physical infirmity – this is largely to cover situations where people are in nursing homes or have moved in with relatives because of their need for care. To be exempt from the charge in 2012, you must have vacated the property on 31 December 2010 or earlier.

There is no need to register exempt properties. However, at some stage you may be asked for proof (such as a doctor’s letter) if you do not pay the charge because of the ‘care away from home’ exemption.

Late payment penalties

Late payment interest and fees will apply if you do not pay the charge in time. Interest will be calculated at 1% per month or part of a month. Late payment fees will be charged as follows:

Delay in payment Late payment fee
Up to 6 months after due date 10% of the amount outstanding
Between 6 and 12 months after due date 20% of the amount outstanding
Over 12 months after due date 30% of the amount outstanding

[Social Conscience]

Did not know this meeting was on, was it well advertised? I know my parents in their fifties have not registered and will resist this as far as they can.

I didn't either until told by someone who heard it on Clare FM - I must admit it was badly advertised so hopefully that is why only 300 turned out. My parents are also not paying it but they will be only one household out of a million or even half a million by the end of March who feel the exact same.

[Social Conscience]

Late payment penalties

Late payment interest and fees will apply if you do not pay the charge in time. Interest will be calculated at 1% per month or part of a month. Late payment fees will be charged as follows:

Delay in payment Late payment fee
Up to 6 months after due date 10% of the amount outstanding
Between 6 and 12 months after due date 20% of the amount outstanding
Over 12 months after due date 30% of the amount outstanding

For those who refuse to pay the €100 by March 31st - their penalties in late payment fees etc will stand at €142 on Dec 31st 2012.

[Clanrickard]

P.S. Clanrickard - I was hoping to see my buddy Timmy there last night but sadly he wasn't.

Timmy won't stick his neck out for something like this. I expect Timmy to be interviewed and to support both sides just like he did with the drink driving laws. McNamara on a few minutes ago admitting it was unfair and he didn't like it but people have to pay it. McNamara seems very willing to go on and bat for the government on sticky issues. The right policy for advancement methinks.

[Tawdy]

The loony left are not wanted in Clare. Glad to see that people are going to pay their lawful taxes.

You base this sneer at Clare people on what FACTS/LINKS?

[Social Conscience]

Timmy won't stick his neck out for something like this. I expect Timmy to be interviewed and to support both sides just like he did with the drink driving laws. McNamara on a few minutes ago admitting it was unfair and he didn't like it but people have to pay it. McNamara seems very willing to go on and bat for the government on sticky issues. The right policy for advancement methinks.

Chalk it down Timmy wouldn't be there as he might have to explain that he never read/knew this was in the Memorandum of Understanding that his party signed up to. What it with John Cooke that McNamara was on? If so did John ask him was he paying this tax or perhaps he already has?

[Tawdy]

I attended a meeting in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis yesterday evening which was chaired by Shannon man Chris Quinn and attended by TD’s Joan Collins and Joe Higgins and approximately 300 residents of the county. It proved to me once again that apathy is alive and well in Clare as I was very disappointed with the overall turnout. Not been ageist but the average age of people there was 55+ and it got me to wonder where the hell are the young people who are house owners as they all haven’t emigrated?

The media presence wasn’t huge but Clare FM, Clare Champion and the Clare People all had representatives there.

No matter what people feel on this issue there is huge opposition to paying this tax and the latest figures I heard is that only 6% having registered to pay thus far which equates to somewhere in the region of 90K home owners.

Even with just under two months to go to the deadline at the end of March it looks that the government are going to get a huge 2 fingers from a majority of Joe Public – one can only hope that finally the Irish attitude to lying down and taking everything that is thrown at them is been chipped away.

Only time will tell I guess.

The people that turned up for that meeting, regardless of their age, did so to vent their anger. The people who did not turn up will vent their anger in a more positive way.

DON`T REGISTER............DON`T PAY!