Sinn Féin bid to cut local property taxes by 15% rejected

A bid by Sinn Féin councillors to deliver a 15% reduction in the Local Property Tax (LPT) for Cavan homeowners was thwarted this week after it was rejected by the other elected members of Cavan County Council.

The matter arose at the September monthly meeting of the local authority on Monday afternoon in Cavan Courthouse when members were asked to approve the LPT rate adjustment for 2025. Following heated debate, local authority members agreed to retain the LPT at the current rate for the next five years.

Prior to all of that however, disagreement began after Cllr Damien Brady (SF) highlighted how the Sinn Féin group at the table - himself, Cllr Noel Connell and Cllr Stiofán Conaty - were proposing a 15% reduction in the tax.

His colleague, Cllr Connell, argued that it’s unfair how people, who had to pay to build or buy their own homes, are then charged another tax (LPT) to live in the house. “The money from the LPT goes to Dublin (Central Government); I know a certain amount of it comes back but people living in the countryside get nothing back when it comes to LPT,” he said.

In response, Chief Executive Eoin Doyle, in his first official meeting following his appointment to the position, highlighted how the entirety of the monies raised from the LPT by Cavan County Council were “vital” in terms of getting match funding for projects in Cavan.

“The retention of that money is absolutely vital for our ambitions,” he continued. “Every cent raised will be retained in Cavan for the development of our towns and villages.”

For a more indepth analysis of this story, check out this week's Anglo Celt on sale tomorrow, Wednesday.