Around 3,000 people have attended a rally in Dublin to protest against the Household Charge.

The event which was held in the National Stadium was organised by the group the Campaign against Household and Water Taxes.

Activists travelled from various parts of the country to attend the event which was addressed by a number of TDs.

Socialist Party TDs Joe Higgins and Clare Daly, Independent TD Seamus Healy, Richard Boyd Barrett, and Joan Collins were among the TDs present.

Latest figures show that over 328,000 households have now paid or registered to pay the €100 Household Charge, with around 80% of those eligible for the charge still unaccounted for.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has defended the charge, saying he expects the numbers paying the household charge to increase in the coming days and said the levy was essential for our economic recovery.

Mr Hogan said the charge would make way for a fairer property tax system in 2013.

He said the local authority teams that will be knocking on doors of those who haven't paid the charge will not be collecting money - rather they will be reminding people they are liable for the levy.

Householders have until 31 March to pay the charge without incurring any penalties.

Mr Hogan also said the charge was essential for the provision of local services.



A spokesperson for the agency tasked with collecting the levy said 328,201 applications have now been processed, but she said the actual number who have paid is higher as there is a backlog of postal payments that have to be sorted.



The 328,000 represents around 20% of the 1.6 million eligible household who are liable for the charge.



Around 100 local authority offices around the country will open their doors next Saturday in order to facilitate those who want to pay the levy.

