Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

Last night, the Dáil debated the Finance (Local Property Tax and Other Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. It was presented as providing for a fair and proportional increase in property tax ahead of the November revaluation. We have to be honest that the tax is fundamentally unjust. It punishes working families, older people and rural homeowners simply for having a roof over their heads. Under this proposal, every home in the country will be paying more. When first introduced during austerity, local property tax was billed as a temporary measure and just another step to stabilise the economy. Like so many temporary taxes in Ireland's history, however, it is now a permanent feature of our system. Instead of questioning its legitimacy, this Bill seeks to entrench it further. To quote the former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, this is a "vampire tax in that it drives a stake through the heart of home ownership ... and sucks the life blood of people who want to own their own home". Families already pay income tax, USC, VAT, motor tax, tolls, fuel tax and carbon tax - the list goes on. Families are being squeezed from every direction and yet the State still has the gall to send a bill to the doorstep of the family home. Government TDs might dismiss this as a few euro a week, but the cost of living is out of control. In 2022, 1 kg of chicken breasts cost €4.99. Today, that same 1 kg of chicken breasts costs €11. This is a 120% increase. The market value of someone's home does not reflect their ability to pay a tax. It is crazy. Aontú believes in strong local government funded through central government, not through a regressive tax on homes. The property tax needs to be scrapped. It is time to stop using families as a cash cow.