Clare County Council has called for the group which oversaw the implementation of the household charge to be disbanded, after thousands of home-owners wrongly received letters incorrectly stating they had not paid the charge.
The affair, described as a ‘fiasco’ and a ‘public disgrace’ by local representatives last evening, has even prompted one Fianna Fail Councillor to state he won’t pay the household charge in future as a result.
Around 33,000 letters have been sent to Clare home-owners in recent weeks, reminding them to pay the household charge.
However, with some receiving multiple letters and others being sent reminders to their deceased relatives, local representatives last evening stated that the affair has brought disgrace upon Clare County Council and ‘tremendous grief’ upon many people.
County manager Tom Coughlan told elected members that he was unhappy with the upset caused to people, as well as the reputational damage and expense incurred by the Council. He stated that the letters had been sent on instruction of the Local Government Management Agency and on foot of data base information provided by them.
The Council passed separate motions stating that Clare County Council enter into no fresh correspondence until such time that an appropriate database has been put in place, and that the LGMA be disbanded.
Meanwhile, one Clare Fianna Fail Councillor says he will no longer pay the household charge, or property tax, until such a time that a proper database system is in place to record payments, and find those not complying with the law.
Kilmaley representative Tom McNamara feels many of the county’s residents will take a similar stand
