15% Reduction in Dublin City’s Property Tax Now at Risk – McAuliffe

Dublin City Council Fianna Fáil Group Leader, Cllr Paul McAuliffe, has accused the Government of deliberately thwarting attempts to reduce the Property Tax in Dublin City by failing to outline the grants which the Council will receive from Government.

Next Monday, Dublin City Council will formally consider the reduction in the Local Property Tax, ahead of a deadline set by the Revenue Commissioners.

However, despite the deadline, the Department of the Environment has been unwilling to spell out which grants the City Council will be allocated in 2015. The grants currently fund important services in the city including; €30 million for homeless services and €14 million for rental accommodation.

Outlining his objection Cllr McAuliffe commented: “The majority of Councillors will vote to pass on the full 15% reduction in the Local Property Tax but we have been placed in an impossible situation trying to put together a budget without knowing our income. The Department of the Environment is telling us we will not have that clarity until after the national budget, but they also say we must decide on the Property Tax before the end of September.

“It’s a sham, they are simply waiting to see what correction we make so that they can alter our allocation. There was clear political agreement before the local elections that the full 15% would be passed on to home-owners in the city but the Government is effectively pitting that promise against those people who have no homes at all. It’s a disgrace.

“It is now obvious that the Property Tax was not about rebalancing the tax system or providing local authorities with a new funding source for better services. There is no new money and there will be no new services.”