Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this initiative. It is positive that we are using our time in the Seanad to at least highlight matters. I thank the Leader and the Cathaoirleach for arranging it.

I want to raise the issue of local government finance. We are aware that our city and county councils are struggling financially. I especially wish to mention local property tax, LPT. Will the Leader extend an invitation and arrange for the Minister for Finance to come to the Seanad to discuss the LPT? One only needs to look at the website of Fine Gael, the Leader's party, the Government website,and the Minister's website to see the endless commitments and promises to reform the LPT. I am opposed to this tax in principle. I am not opposed to bringing in income to local authorities but the system used is very unfair. A neighbour of mine is a very elderly pensioner on a very low income. She is paying the tax. I spoke to two professionals recently who live in Foxrock and who have an income in excess of €200,000. They do not pay the LPT. This is historical because, since 2013, all new properties are exempt from the tax. It is an absolute shame. It is a disgrace. The system requires urgent reform. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, there are more than 4,000 houses, I will not speculate about what they cost but they are valuable properties and perhaps cost in excess of €500,000. The people involved have never paid the LPT. That is wrong. I do not think we need to convince anyone that it is wrong. In that context, we need to hear from the Minister. We cannot keep putting it off. There have been some suggestions about general elections, certain demographics and why we are not doing anything about it, but that is all speculation. We need to address how we are going to bring in some sort of emergency legislation to at least bring that group into the net. I will leave it at that. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to come in to discuss the issue.