Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to cut commercial rates by 2%

A 15 per cent cut in the level of local property tax, a cut in commercial rates of 2 per cent and an €18 million social housing provision are the main elements of in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s 2015 budget.

Councillors sat for almost seven hours until close to midnight to approve spending amounting to €164 million in the coming year.

The budget, passed by 26 votes to 12 included the cut in commercial rates that followed sustained complaints of severe economic difficulties from traders, particularly in Dún Laoghaire.

Councillor Victor Boyhan told the budget meeting it should not be forgotten that "rate payers are funding our day-to-day expenditure" and he said if the rate were to fall by just 2 per cent in 2015, it should be 3 per cent the following year, "and 4 per cent after that, culminating in 9 per cent".

In relation to the collection of local property tax, Councillor Melisa Halpin said "€53 million has been taken out of the pockets of the people of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and the council is more than €50 million worse off than it was in 2008". She and fellow People Before Profit councillor Huey Lewis insisted that "every cent" raised in local property tax was matched by a corresponding reduction in Government support for the council.

Included in the budget was:

* €992,000 towards the costs of the Poolbeg incinerator

* €18 million for social housing

*€43 million income representing 80 percent of the local property tax

* €300,000 for village renewal

* €100,000 for free wifi in Sandyford industrial estate

*€700,000 to promote economic development

The budget meeting heard the property tax would raise about €53.4 million, but would have to pass 20 per cent on to the exchequer. The would leave almost €47million for council services.

In September, the council had decided to reduce the property tax levy in its area by 15 per cent, over last year. The cost of this move will be about €8million councillor Gerry Horkan (FF) said.