Explainer: What does the expected hike in Local Property Tax mean for Dublin?
What's going on?
The largest local authority in the country, Dublin City Council (DCC), is today expected to increase the rate of LPT for homeowners, subject to a vote this evening by councillors.
This is because, for the first time since the LPT was introduced in 2013, they will have elected not to apply a 15pc discount to the baseline rate.
The council's governing grouping, made up of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Green Party and Labour councillors, say it'll bring in an extra €16.4m of funds over the coming year for much-needed service improvements.
But Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Independents say that not continuing the 15pc discount is unfair on families, pointing to the cost of living crisis.
So, how much will I be charged on my home?
If you live in the DCC area, your LPT bills will go up by 15pc from this measure alone.
However, on top of that, the government is also in the process of adjusting the bands and rates for the tax upwards, meaning even higher payments for households, particularly those with high-value homes.
The value of properties that fall into the 20 bands have increased by 20pc, as property values have grown since the last valuation in 2021, meaning 96pc of homes will stay in the same band as before.
But each band will also cost homeowners more, for example band 4 properties, which are set to be valued between €420,001 and €525,000 under the changes, will now pay LPT at a rate of €428-a-year, up from €405.
Just under 75pc of homes in the DCC area fall between bands 1 and 4, according to Revenue.
Band 10 homes, to be valued between €1,050,001 and €1,155,000, will be charged €998-a-year, up from €945.
Those in band 19, to be valued between €1,995,001 and €2,100,000, would see their contribution jump to €3,110 from €2,721.
Homes with a valuation of more than €2.1m will see an even larger increase, as any value above this cut-off point is charged the highest annual rate of 0.3pc of the property's value.
Homes in band 1 (up to €240,000) will pay the lowest LPT, at a fixed rate of €95 annually, up from €90.
The combined effect of the rising DCC rate and national revaluation, means that LPT bills could increase by anything up to 34pc for homeowners in Dublin next year.
Who's against the increase?
The Social Democrats, Sinn Féin, People Before Profit and many independents have been urging councillors to continue reducing the LPT rate, citing cost of living challenges for residents of the capital.
Daithí Doolan, Sinn Féin councillor, said not only is his party pushing for the maximum possible 15pc reduction, but they are seeking the abolishment of the tax altogether.
'It is not even a property tax,' he said. 'It is a charge on people's homes. Meanwhile, Dubliners are unfairly punished by the extremely high price of housing in the capital.'
Mr Doolan said Sinn Féin saw it as 'unfair, regressive charge', because it is not based on people's incomes.
'The prince pays the same as the pauper,' he added.
What will the money be spent on?
The DCC governing parties are already gushing about how the extra €16.4m will be spent, with €5.4m of that ring-fenced for housing maintenance in council-owned complexes.
Green Party councillor Janet Horner said rejuvenating council housing is a top priority.
'People should not be living with single glazed windows, with mould and cold, damp conditions in our flat complexes,' she said. 'This spending commitment marks a genuine commitment to addressing that injustice.'
Around €3m will be spent on additional road, footpath and carriageway maintenance, with another €3m devoted to a revolving fund which would target urban regeneration and vacant properties.
Repayment of borrowing for infrastructural projects will be allocated a further €2m, while DCC will get an additional discretionary spend of €1m from the fund.
A further €1m will be spent on new apprentices, with the same figure going towards additional zebra crossings.
What about the other Dublin councils?
Dublin City Council is set to be the only authority in the capital to apply the baseline rate of LPT to homeowners, with South Dublin County Council (SDCC), Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (DLR) County Council all applying reductions to varying degrees.
Councillors in DLR recently voted to continue the 15pc reduction for homeowners there, costing the council around €10m in lost income.
SDCC has voted for a 7pc reduction in LPT this year, down from their previous 15pc discount level.
Fingal councillors also voted to continue reducing the rate, by 5pc, albeit down slightly from the 7.5pc previously.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
3 hours ago
- Sunday World
Ex-Provo says he's proud IRA chiefs asked him to tell world their war was over
Séanna Walsh became the first IRA man for decades to stand in front of a camera and talk on behalf of the organisation without a mask Seanna Walsh, announces that IRA leadership has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign in 2005. The former Provo who told the world the IRA's war was over has revealed it remains one of the proudest moments of his life – but he had to get his daughters' approval first. Séanna Walsh spoke to the Sunday World on the week of the 20th anniversary of the jaw-dropping statement that declared an end to the IRA's violent campaign which saw them murder more than 1,700 people. On July 28, 2005, Séanna became the first IRA man for decades to stand in front of a camera and talk on behalf of the organisation without a mask. In a DVD that was distributed all over the world, he said the terrorist group was laying down its arms and was committing to a new peaceful strategy of achieving its goal of a united Ireland. Not everyone believed them but 20 years on only the most diehard unionist would argue that the IRA still exists as a violent force. Seanna Walsh, announces that IRA leadership has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign in 2005. Séanna (68) reveals this week why he thinks he was chosen to deliver that message, how he had check it was okay with his family first and how he feels about it 20 years later. While a number of ceasefires had been announced and collapsed since 1994, the 2005 statement saw the start of the decommissioning of weapons. The IRA statement delivered by Séanna said that members had been instructed to use exclusively peaceful means and not to engage in any other activities whatsoever. 'I had to be unmasked,' says Séanna – now a Sinn Féin Belfast city councillor – told the Sunday World. 'It had to be that way because we were doing something different. 'It was the defining moment of my life as a republican and I'm very proud of the fact the IRA leadership asked me to be the person to read the statement. 'I wasn't wearing a mask because we had to move away from that but I wasn't worried because I was quite convinced the days of the armed conflict were over. Séanna Walsh reflects on delivering historic IRA statement 20 years on News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1 'It was made in the grounds of the Roddy's (Roddy McCorley's Club) and there's a museum there today and you can push the button and play the video and actually there's a recording of me reading the statement in English but also in Irish.' Walsh was a 48-year-old father-of-three when he made the statement which lasted just over four minutes and was filmed in the grounds of the west Belfast club. By then he'd already been in jail three times for his role in violent republicanism – in fact by the time he was released in 1998 he'd spent more time behind bars than out – and his track record was one of the reasons he believes he was chosen to read out the statement. 'I didn't ask them why I was chosen,' says Walsh. 'I was approached by an IRA comrade and that's as much as I can say. I suppose it's because I was confident enough to do it. 'I think they asked me because of the fact I'd served time in the Cages (Long Kesh), where I first met Bobby Sands, and where I shared a cell with him and we became very close friends. 'Then during the hunger strike period I was back in the H-Blocks and suffered the abuse of the blanket protest and was then in charge of the H-Blocks after Bik McFarlane stood down. 'On being released I went back to the struggle and was recaptured a third time and sentenced to 22 years the third time and was finally released in 1998. 'When I was asked would I be prepared to be the one to read the statement to camera and this would go out globally, I had to take a step back and I told them I'll have to think about this because I have three daughters, two of which were teens and the other was only a child. 'I needed to sit down and go through it all with my family – my wife is a long-standing republican in her own right and shared a cell in jail in Armagh with Mairéad Farrell for a number of years. 'So my wife was okay with it and the girls were absolutely supportive – the one thing I was most concerned about was the way that stuff like this can impact on their opportunities to travel and them being at that age. 'So I sat down with them and talked it over with them and I came back and said 'yes I'll do it'. I was a bit concerned about putting myself above the parapet and making myself a target of abuse because we were putting it up to the establishment in a way we hadn't really done before.' For the record, Walsh was jailed for terrorist offences including robbing banks, having a rifle and being caught with explosives but he sticks by the controversial claim that there was 'no alternative'. But he says the growth of Sinn Féin in the Republic actually pushed the IRA closer to a ceasefire as they found Dublin a colder house than before. 'Nationalists and certainly republicans felt there was no alternative to armed struggle but when republicans were convinced that there was a viable alternative to ending British government interference in this part of Ireland without recourse to armed struggle, they jumped at it with both hands and grasped it,' he says. 'To talk about 2005 you really have to talk about the statement Gerry Adams made in April where he talks about the time is now right for the IRA to leave the stage. 'That triggered a whole period of consultation across the republican family... it was time for the IRA to leave the stage because it was leading to excuses on the part of other people, the people in opposition to ourselves. 'When you look back in the years when Sinn Féin was a political party and their strength lay in the North, the Dublin government were a lot less hostile after the IRA ceasefire but Sinn Féin's strength was growing in the south and they were becoming, as far as they were concerned, a threat politically to the southern establishment and that's when things started becoming problematic with the Dublin government.' He says the archives will show that neither unionism nor the British government believed his statement was completely genuine. 'If you look back at the archives the British downplayed it, the unionists totally poo-pooed it and even then later in the year when you had the statement from De Chastelain (chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning), that he was satisfied guns had been put beyond use you still had this scepticism in unionism that didn't believe it.' Last weekend, Séanna took part in a discussion about his historic statement along with Gerry Adams, chaired by Mairéad Farrell TD – niece of IRA member Mairéad who was shot dead in Gibraltar – in Belfast's Balmoral Hotel. Speaking before the event, Gerry Adams voiced regret that the statement of 2005 took so long to come, suggesting the UK government was focused on 'defeating republicanism'. He said: 'It took decades and one of my regrets is that it took so long. In my humble opinion it took so long because the two governments, particularly the British government, only sought peace on its terms, which meant defeat the IRA, it meant defeat republicanism and that doesn't work, our people are resolute.' He added: 'The proof of it is that 20 years later the IRA isn't a feature.'
Agriland
a day ago
- Agriland
Government Needs to Invest in Irish Wool Industry Td
The government has been urged to invest in the Irish wool industry, particularly scouring and processing. Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, Martin Kenny has said that sheep farmers are busy at present shearing, which needs to be done for the welfare of the sheep. Despite wool being a natural product that has many uses such as clothing, insulation and fertiliser, the price farmers are currently receiving is at "rock bottom", he said. "It costs more for the farmer to shear the ewe than they get for the fleece. There are many farmers with sheds full of wool for three and four years that they are unable to get sold," the deputy said. "I am told that some are having to pay to get rid of it." He said the development of a wool industry in Ireland needs to be state-led, "as we cannot wait for private industry to establish it". "The government needs to invest in the establishment of a large-scale wool scouring and processing plant," the deputy said. 'There is an industry for wool products in the country and there is a market for Irish wool products. "However, there are many wool garments sold in Ireland that are made from imported wool such as Merino wool.'Some Irish wool may not be suitable for clothing, but it still has a use in textiles such as carpets and rugs and for insulation." There is an opportunity for an Irish wool industry that would provide another source of income to farmers and create more jobs in wool processing, the deputy added, and government "needs to step up to the plate here and invest". The programme for government committed to examining the feasibility of a wool scouring plant in Ireland. According to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, two research projects are currently underway to assess sustainable approaches to wool scouring in Ireland. "In 2024, my department announced funding of €574,683 for the Spring Wool research project," the minister said in response to a recent parliamentary question. "Among other things, this project is examining the feasibility of a mobile wool scouring unit that is compliant with wastewater regulations. "The treatment of wastewater from the scouring process is a major obstacle to the growth of the wool sector. The work is being coordinated by the Munster Technological University." The second research project, Regenerative Value Systems for Irish Grown Wool in Ireland, is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. "This project is examining the economics of wool production within a circular bioeconomy," the minister explained. "Key objectives are to investigate various business models for scalable scouring and to assess the potential for local scouring across the island of Ireland." He said his department will examine the outcome of both research projects, "which will help inform government of the feasibility of establishing a scouring plant in Ireland".
Agriland
a day ago
- Agriland
How much were BISS payments worth to your county in 2024?
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has confirmed that Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments were worth over €688 million last year. The minister was responding to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness. BISS replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2023. Minister Heydon said that the payment is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability. "While BISS replaced BPS in 2023 as part of the new CAP, some Pillar 1 funding was allocated to the Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) as well as BISS. Therefore, direct county comparisons between BPS and BISS will show differences," he said. The amount of funding distributed to each county under BISS since its introduction can be seen in the following table: County 2024 BISS payment total 2023 BISS payment total Carlow €11,951,400 €12,229,514 Cavan €20,133,221 €20,009,955 Clare €28,329,480 €27,913,532 Cork €85,690,275 €86,219,045 Donegal €38,076,559 €36,880,125 Dublin €4,925,088 €4,944,086 Galway €51,003,189 €50,544,889 Kerry €42,708,864 €41,369,480 Kildare €16,031,008 €16,318,988 Kilkenny €26,373,517 €26,868,563 Laois €19,666,917 €20,078,128 Leitrim €13,273,501 €12,816,677 Limerick €28,395,348 €28,302,359 Longford €10,732,608 €10,772,179 Louth €9,702,365 €9,889,250 Mayo €46,334,704 €44,948,179 Meath €27,582,841 €28,050,912 Monaghan €15,079,196 €15,300,592 Offaly €18,540,259 €18,760,008 Roscommon €23,590,597 €23,384,194 Sligo €15,821,036 €15,389,231 Tipperary €50,258,016 €50,989,278 Waterford €19,871,787 €20,048,387 Westmeath €18,268,933 €18,236,329 Wexford €29,873,279 €30,503,919 Wicklow €16,345,056 €16,276,123 Total €688,559,044 €687,043,922 Source: DAFM The figures show that Cork received the highest total payments under BISS in 2024 at almost €85.7 million, which was down on the previous year (€86.2 million) Galway was in second position on €51 million, closely followed by Tipperary €50.2 million, while Mayo took fourth place with €46.3 million. Dublin was the county with the lowest amount of payments at €4.9 million. Minister Heydon added that BISS payments for this year will commence in October 2025. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) previously confirmed that a total of 123,705 applications for BISS and other area-based schemes were submitted this year. This figure is down from 124,274 scheme applications in 2024. Cork was again the county with the highest number of applications at 12,181, followed by Galway on 11,603 and Mayo with 10,942.
