Household charges

Sir, – It’s disappointing but not surprising to read the responses to the household charge (July 29th): “boycott”, “joke”, “…

Sir, – It’s disappointing but not surprising to read the responses to the household charge (July 29th): “boycott”, “joke”, “despicable”. It’s despicable a nation can continue to bury its head in the sand, borrowing billions to avoid reality for just one more year. It’s a joke that people complain about closing services in Roscommon, while others urge boycotting paying the money to fund these services.

Council tax is between £941 and £2,825 in the part of London I live in.

It is galling that I’m forced to stay working in England for an indeterminate period while this farce continues. – Yours, etc,

AIDAN O’BOYLE,

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Sydney Road,

Raynes Park,

London,

England.

Sir, – Let us put the annual household charge of €100 in perspective.

This sum would buy a one-day ticket to Oxegen, or pay for the basic subscription to Sky TV for about four months.

It would also pay the tariff for an iPhone for 2½ months, or allow two adults and four children to go to an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park.

Enough of the hysteria. – Yours, etc,

JOE PHELAN,

Windsor Court,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.