Dublin City Council agrees to raise Local Property Tax

Sarah Slater

Dublin city councillors voted to increase the property tax levy of 15 per cent at a council meeting on Friday evening.

The vote was expected to pass and will result in three of Dublin's four local authority areas having increased property tax from next year.

The council said the increase will provide almost €16.5 million in additional funding for the city, with almost a third going toward maintaining the city's housing stock.

Since the Local Property Tax was first introduced, councillors have had the ability to increase or decrease the base rate of the tax by 15%.

As the coalition government was being formed last year, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour and the Green Party agreed to vote to raise the tax by 15 per cent for the next three years.

Several councillors opposed to the move believe the property tax hike is unfair on householders and that the extra funding could be raised by collecting unpaid vacant and derelict site levies and development contributions.

Dublin North Inner City councillor and a former Mayor, Christy Burke, voted against the property tax rate increase.

“It’s an unjust tax on families given the rise in household goods such as food, heating, gas, petrol and school uniforms. The list is endless. It’s an unnecessary burden when families are so desperately struggling,” added Cllr Burke.

“The council seems to forget that the north inner city has some of the most at need families and individuals living there.”

The council’s Chief Executive, Richard Shakespeare, in a circular to councillors ahead of tonight’s meeting, urged them to no longer apply the 15 per cent discount on property tax, explaining that removing the discount would give the council €16.4m in additional funding.

The Government has already announced that properties are to be revalued for Local Property Tax on November 1st this year.