The amount which people will have to pay in property tax will not be announced until budget day, senior Government sources said last night, as Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath called for the tax to be postponed until the economy improved.
Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald said the property tax proposal “beggars belief” and Independent TD Finian McGrath said families “cannot afford to take another hit”.
Senior Government sources said there was no intention to release details of the proposed charges in advance of the budget on December 5th. This was confirmed by a Department of the Environment spokeswoman.
“The Cabinet decided last July that Revenue would collect the tax and background and administrative work has been going on since then. The detail will be announced as part of the budgetary process,” the spokeswoman said.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore claimed a lot of stories with no basis were being written about the tax: “Some of the stories that are appearing in the meantime are just pure speculation.”
