Environment Minister Phil Hogan has confirmed that the proposed new household charge will be set at €100 a year, payable next year.
He said it would be an interim measure for two years, pending the introduction of a property tax. Mr Hogan said the levy was separate to water charges which would be payable by 2014 and would yield around €160m.
Those receiving mortgage interest supplement will not have to pay the charge, nor will those living in social housing or so-called 'ghost estates' Commercial property will also be exempt, as will premises owned by a charity.
Minister Hogan also said he intended to facilitate households in paying the charge over a number of instalments.
Speaking at the MacGill Summer School, ICTU general secretary David Begg said he was not surprised by the announcement, but that he would favour a site charge.
Professor Phillip Lane of the Department of Economics at TCD welcomed it as an intermediate measure and said he would favour a move to a charge based on the value of people's assets.
UCD economist Colm McCarthy said the charge was necessary as an intermediate measure because of the difficulty in re-introducing domestic rates. He said he hoped it would be collected with TV licence fee to reduce the nuisance to people.
