Category Archives: Property Tax

September 24, 2014

This government has reduced government funding to Tipperary Local authorities by over €20 million or 48% since it came to power in 2011.

The government and Minister Alan Kelly say we will get the same funding as last year, but this includes the proceeds of the property tax which the people of this county have paid themselves.

This means that the actual government contribution to this council will be even less than the very low level provided for this year.

As usual the local election promise of a 15% reduction in home tax was just pulling the wool over people’s eyes.

The extraction by the government of over €20 million per year out of the economy of county Tipperary is a huge factor in depressing the local economy. North and South Tipperary are in the highest regions of unemployment in Ireland according to official figures.

Now from 01 October, every time we fill the kettle we will be charged for water!

This will extract even more money from the local economy causing further depression and crucifying already hard pressed people. According to the Neven Economic Research Institute, the poorest 10% are paying a higher proportion of income in tax than the top 10%.

This is just double taxation.

We are already paying for water and other local services, through general taxation, direct and indirect. Now we are being forced to pay again through these charges for services which have been reduced by government cuts.

This money is being diverted to pay part of the €8 billion per year interest which recent governments have incurred through bailing out billionaire investors in bust banks.

Local property tax and water charges are devices to make the ordinary person pay for bailing out banks.

The top 10,000 income earners in this country have €595,000 per year each.

The government should take the money from these top earners and use it to abolish home and water taxes and stop attacking already hard pressed families.

The government is continually hitting lower and middle income families.

It was for all these reasons I supported the proposed 15% reduction in property tax along with Councillors Séamie Morris (SF), David Dunne (SF), David Doran (SF), Martin Browne (SF), Catherine Carey (SF), Jim Ryan (IND), Michael O’Meara (IND), Willie Kennedy (IND) and Micheal Lowry (IND)

The following Councillors blocked a reduction in the property tax Siobhan Ambrose ( FF ), Andy Moloney (IND), Fiona Bonfield (LAB), Jackie Cahill (FF), Joe Bourke (FG), Joe Hannigan (IND), Kieran Bourke (IND), Martin Lonergan (IND), Roger Kennedy (FF), Marie Murphy (FG), Micheal Anglim (FF), Louise McLoughlin (FG), Tom Wood (IND), Michael Murphy(FG), Richie Molloy (IND), Eddie O Meara (IND), Imelda Goldsboro (FF), Ger Darcy (FG), Hughie McGrath (IND), Phyll Bugler (FG), John Carroll (FF), Mattie Ryan (FF), John Hogan (FF), Michael Smith (FF), Seamus Hanifin(FF), Denis Leahy (IND), John Crosse (FG), Mary Hanna Hourigan (FG) , Michael Fitzgerald (FG).

Posted by Workers and Unemployed Action Group in Property Tax, Statement