A GROUP opposing
austerity measures has criticised Donegal County
Council for spending thousands of euro on posting
30,000 Household Charge warning letters - saying the
money would be better spent on home helps. Donegal
Action Against Austerity also disputed the local
authority's claim that some 34,000 people had paid
the charge.
DAAA said the number of non-payers was more like
50,000 and it urged the recipients of the warning
letters to phone the local authority with their
objections.
"It is common knowledge that over 50,000 households
have not registered to pay the household tax," said
DAAA chairman, Seamus Kee.
"We would ask the 30,000 people who receive these
letters to phone Mr (Gary) Martin, director of
finance, and make their feelings known and that
under no circumstances will we pay this €100
household tax."
DAAA said it had been out on the streets at post
offices over the last few weeks handing out leaflets
informing people about the household tax and septic
tank registration.
"We have been getting a very positive response from
the public. Even those who have paid the household
tax are telling us that the only reason they have
paid is because of fear. "One elderly woman outside
Moville Post Office said she was scared she would be
sent to jail. We, the DAAA, assured this woman that
she would not go to jail because no Government in
their right mind would put a person of pension age
in jail for owing €100 and we would hope that the
good people of Ireland would not allow this to
happen."
DAAA urged Mr Martin to "refrain from using
scaremongering tactics on the people of Donegal".
"We would like to reiterate that this charge will
not be utilised to provide or improve services but
to repay unsecured bond holders.
"We, the DAAA, would also like to point out that to
send out 30,000 reminder letters will be at a cost
of €13,500 on postage alone. How many home help
hours would that amount of money cover?" added the
group's PRO, Joe Murphy. |
