Sinn Féin drives Property Tax cuts in councils

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL, South Dublin County Council and Wicklow County Council have all voted to reduce the Local Property Tax for 2015 by 15%, the maximum amount allowable. Cork County Council voted for a 10% cut.

In Dublin City Council the motion was supported by Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and People Before Profit while the Labour Party opposed the move.

Speaking at the meeting on Monday night, Sinn Féin Councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha hit out at claims by the Labour Party that a reduction of the Property Tax would affect the provision of homelessness services:

"The creation of this false opposition between a desire to ease the burden of the lowest paid in this city and somehow to put it in contradiction to supporting the homeless is an absolutely disgraceful and false accusation and we reject it completely.

"We have every confidence that we will produce a budget that will be fair, that will protect the homeless. We'll also keep pressure on central government. But they created the homeless crisis and housing crisis in this city and they must be faced with their responsibility to solve it," he said.

Sinn Féin council leader Seamus McGrattan told the Council meeting:

"If we could abolish this unfair tax tonight, we would."

Meanwhile, Cork County Council rejected a Sinn Féin proposal to reduce the charge by 15% but compromised for a 10% reduction.

Cork Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Hayes said:

"We are quite certain that there would have been no reduction only for the Sinn Féin councillors and the sustained campaign that we have had on this issue - right back to our motion which was passed in June."

Criticising the failure of Fine Gael, Labour and most Fianna Fáil councillors to support the move, he said:

"Those councillors owe an explanation to their constituents. The public expected the council to do all it could to give people a break, and it would have been a huge boost to the local economy."

In Wicklow, Bray Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady said the reduction would give a boost of more than €2.5million to the local economy:

"This move will give a little respite to hard-pressed families but ultimately it's a step in the right direction for its abolition. Sinn Féin are committed to abolishing the tax if we enter government after the next election."

Sinn Féin proposals to reduce the Property Tax on Kerry and Galway City Councils were blocked by the Establishment parties.