WEXFORD COUNTY Council will not be vetting grant applicants based on their parent’s decision to pay or not to pay the €100 household charge.

County Manager Eddie Breen has confirmed to The Echo that unlike his colleagues in Clare and South Tipperary county councils, Wexford officials will not be asking college grant applicants for proof of household charge payments to process applications.

“We haven’t adopted that approach, but obviously we will be using huge effort to pursue people to pay it by whatever means possible.”

Mr. Breen said Minister Phil Hogan has indicated to him that if the collection of the charge improves in the coming months the Council may not be faced with effectively being fined up to €2m.

“We are hoping that with better collection rates it wouldn’t be applied. It would amount to 11 per cent of our government grant so we’re hoping to avoid that. We’ll be encouraging people to pay what’s legally due,” he said.

Letters are presently being sent to householders across the county from the Department of the Environment seeking payment of the controversial charge.

Only renewal applications are being processed by county councils.

About 600,000 homeowners have yet to register to pay the €100 charge which was due for payment earlier this year.