Sinn Féin To Push For Full 15% Local Property Tax Reduction

Dublin City Council will meet tonight (Monday) to discuss a possible reduction of the Local Property Tax, with Sinn Féin saying that they will push for the full 15% reduction allowed by government legislation.

Sinn Féin have said that they will also use the meeting to call on the government to restore its funding for homeless services in the City to the former level of 90% of the funds required.

The leader of the Sinn Féin group on the City Council, Councillor Séamas McGrattan said: "The Family Home Tax is an inequitable and unfair tax that takes no account of ability to pay. In Dublin City we are proposing that it be reduced in 2015 by the full 15% allowed for in Government legislation.

"We have proposed this change in Councils across the State so as to ease the burden of austerity on those on low to middle incomes. That burden is to be added to with the forthcoming water tax over which councillors have no control. We see it is our duty to provide this measure of relief from the full impact of the Family Home Tax in 2015.

"We are also calling for the proposed Council Budget Strategy for 2015 to be amended to provide for the restoration of the previous 90% central Government contribution to the funding of homeless services.

"The housing and homelessness crisis in Dublin has been caused directly by the abject failure of the current Government and its predecessor to provide social housing and to address homelessness in a comprehensive manner.

"We are urging the Council, with a united voice, to demand that the Government begin in earnest to resolve the housing and homelessness crisis with significant investment in 2015.

"The Government must make clear, well in advance of the Council's annual budget, that, at the very least, funding for homeless services in Dublin will be restored to the essential level of 90% Government contribution to funding need."

(MH/CD)