Callum Lavery
A NORTHSIDE TD has hit out at the Government for voting against a bill which aims to give relief to homeowners paying for both Local Property Tax (LPT) and management fees.
Dublin Fingal TD Darragh O’Brien (FF) spoke out after the Management Fees (Local Property Tax) Relief Bill 2018 recently passed through the Dáil at the Second Stage.
Deputy O’Brien said the bill would provide homeowners already paying management fees a reduction on their LPT bill worth a third of the fee, up to maximum of €300 per year.
“Relieving homeowners and easing the burden of paying both Local Property Tax and management fees to deliver the same services, is a priority for our party,” he said.
“We introduced this bill believing that both Fine Gael and Labour would wish to support the same and bring about an end to poor practice but sadly they have shown their true colours.
“It is a big relief that thankfully our bill was passed through the Dáil at Second Stage regardless.
“Let no Fine Gael or Labour representative try tell you that they understand or respect the pressure households are under to keep all expenses covered.
“They had a prime opportunity when voting on our bill to ease the financial pressure but instead one chose to abstain and the other to vote against it.
“Now that it has been confirmed that neither party are remotely interested in reforming the Local Property Tax system to make it gradually more fair and equitable, we are more determined than ever to see this legislation pass all stages of the Oireachtas.”
However, two TDs in Deputy O’Brien’s constituency – Alan Farrell (FG) and Brendan Ryan (Lab) – have hit back at the stinging criticism.
Deputy Farrell said: “Acknowledging the fact that many homeowners are paying management fees within the Local Property Tax system would have the potential to support those homeowners, and is something which could be considered following the conclusion of the current review of the Local Property Tax.
“As Minister Sean Kyne stated in Dáil Éireann ‘the report on the current review of the tax is being finalised and the Minister for Finance will then be in a position to make recommendations to Government about it’.
“It would be a disservice to taxpayers throughout Dublin Fingal, and the entire country to undermine the Local Property Tax system purely as a result of an electoral ploy by Fianna Fáil.
“It is vital that the services provided by local authorities for residents are examined, and that alternative funding models would be implemented to ensure local communities would not have to go without necessary works and improvements as a result of such a move.
“Furthermore, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also stated that this Government will work to ensure that ‘nobody will see a dramatic increase in their property tax’.”
Deputy Farrell said the fact remains that Fianna Fáil is aware the review is ongoing, and indeed coming to conclusion.
“However, they again return to their old ways of promising everything purely for their own electoral gain, without addressing the consequences of implementing such promises,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Ryan pointed out that the Labour Party didn’t oppose the bill.
“We abstained and our Housing spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan highlighted some flaws with the bill which was poorly drafted, such as the fact it wouldn’t apply to landlords,” said Deputy Ryan.
“We are not in the business of letting landlords off scott free. We abstained so we could perhaps work to provide amendments at the next stages of this bill.
“This was known to Fianna Fáil so to see this attack across the media harks back to the days of populist Fianna Fáil, putting through half baked bills and having pops at opposition parties for not supporting them.”
Deputy Ryan said his party is very much in favour of trying to help people who pay management fees but “we also believe in the principle of a Property Tax to fund local services”.
“This bill in its current form is haphazard so we abstained with a view to offering amendments to improve it,” he added.