Kildare residents may have to pay even more property tax

The prospect of people living in Kildare having to pay even more property tax was aired at a Naas Municipal District committee meeting.

Local residents already pay a 10% extra bill which was agreed some years ago by Kildare County Council and has remained in place.

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Last year the tax was approved mainly by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael councillors, with the in-built 10% increase retained, despite opposition by Social Democrats councillors.

Fine Gael councillor Evie Sammon said there is a clear need for the central government to provide more money to Kildare County Council.

At a KCC meeting, Cllr Sammon expressed concerns about “expanding the county without extra support from government.”

She said people already pay an extra 10% in property tax in Kildare and she referred to a suggestion that it could increase to 15%.

Cllr Evie Sammon said Kildare needs more funding from central government

She pointed out that by contrast some counties enjoy a 15% reduction in property tax because of more substantial government funding.

Kildare is the fourth largest county but is fourth from the bottom in terms of central funding it receives.

Since 2015, local authorities throughout Ireland can vary the property tax rate charged by up to 15%. There is a suggestion, from the government, that it could be increased to 25% this summer.

Naas Mayor Fintan Brett stated that Kildare has considerable influence at government level because local TDs James Lawless and Martin Heydon are senior cabinet ministers and they should be prevailed upon to ensure that more government funding comes to Kildare.

It emerged at a meeting that KCC officials have been in contact with Oireachtas politicians from Kildare to make the case for more money.