COUNTY Carlow’s local property tax (LPT) charges for 2015 will remain the same, despite a passionate plea to cut the cost by 15% by “standing up and fighting for Carlow, not just Dublin 4”.
A furious debate raged over two meetings this week at Carlow County Council, as Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin demanded a 15% cut, stressing that the hard-pressed Carlow public have simply had enough. Fine Gael, Labour and Independents accused the opposition of being “populists” and “irresponsible”, warning that a 15% reduction would result in a €611,000 cut to the council’s budget, with “devastating consequences” for the county’s services.
“In 2014, Carlow County Council received €5.35m in local government funding. This year, it’s €2.09m, and that gap of €3.26m is to be paid by the people through property tax. What has happened to our central government funding?” cllr Fintan Phelan demanded to know.
“Fine Gael and Labour have cut this council’s budget by 66% – that is a savage cut on Carlow by any standards,” he added.
Cllr Jennifer Murnane O’Connor proposed a 15% cut in LPT, pointing out that “people who are paying out this extra money are getting nothing for it”. Her proposal was seconded by Sinn Féin’s Andy Gladney, who replied that all people got for LPT was water meters.
Chief executive Tom Barry remarked that while a cut of 15% would have a “marginal impact” on property owners, the “impact on the council’s services would be huge”.
Cllr Phelan took grave exception to this, pointing out that 37% of Carlow households pay €225 in property tax and a 15% cut would equate to a saving of €33.75.
“I did costings this week in a local SuperValu, and €33.75 is actually what it would cost a family to have breakfast and lunch for a week – would you call that relatively minor?” he argued, waving the SuperValu receipt at Mr Barry.
“And I also spoke to Bord Gáis, and €33.75 would heat a home for a week – a minor amount? I challenge you to go out and ask any Carlow family would they like to go without breakfast or lunch for a week or go without heating in their home. They absolutely would not,” fumed cllr Phelan.
A war of words then erupted in the chamber, with cllr William Paton remarking that LPT “was foisted on us by Fianna Fáil, who did a treacherous deal with the IMF to help their banker friends”.
“I would like to see a reduction of 15% but I’m dealing with facts and I am responsible,” argued cllr Tommy Kinsella. “You are being totally irresponsible to the people. That cut is going to come out of our budget. Are you going to cut mobility grants or street cleaning? There’s no use living in cloud-cuckoo-land,” he added.
With tensions escalating, cllr Phelan shouted: “Where is the fight, where is the Carlow spirit, where is our representative in the Dáil? Why does he not stand up and fight for Carlow? Aren’t we as entitled to a 15% cut as the people living in Dublin 4?”
“Was the deputy too busy writing open letters in our local newspaper or going on local radio instead of standing up for Carlow?” said cllr Phelan.
Cathaoirleach Fergal Browne stated that he knew deputy Deering had made “huge representations” on the issue, a view supported passionately by party colleagues in the chamber.
Following more than two hours of debate, the meeting was adjourned to allow Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin to come up with reductions to the budget that would allow a 15% cut in LPT. But at the following meeting, these figures were not produced, with the opposition simply demanding that more funding come from central government.
However, Mr Barry remarked: “The short answer is, there is no more money in the kitty”.
Roll-call votes were then taken, with council members voting in favour of making no change to the local property tax for 2015, with nine Fine Gael, Labour and Independent councillors in favour and eight Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin against. Cllr Denis Foley was absent for the vote.
