Donegal's Defective Block Homeowners must continue to pay local property tax

A proposed amendment that would exempt thousands of Defective Block Homeowners from having to pay local property tax has been voted down by the government.

Donegal Sinn Féin Deputies Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn brought forward an amendment that would exempt thousands of Defective Block Homeowners from having to pay local property tax - only for the amendment to be voted down by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs.

The Bill, as published, would allow local authorities to vary the Local Property Tax (LPT) upward by up to 25 per cent from the year 2026 onwards. Currently, local authorities have the discretion to adjust the LPT rate collected in their areas up or down by 15 per cent. The amendment was voted down 64 to 82.

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"Our amendment called on Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, within three months of the passing of the act, prepare and lay before the Dáil a report on the accessibility of the local property tax exemption for those that are affected by the Defective Concrete Block Crisis - or Scandal, as it really is,” Dohert said.

"The people who have been affected by Defective Concrete Blocks have been unfairly treated as they haven't been given the same 100% redress scheme that was provided in Dublin and North Leinster.

"Many homeowners are having to severely dig deep into their own pockets and borrow to try and make up the shortfall that is built into the government's scheme. There are many others who simply can't avail of the scheme because that type of money is not available to them.

"The issue here is that those who have to live in a Defective Block home should, at the very least, not have to pay local property tax.

"Many homeowners in the scheme are already having to deal with severe financial pressures. The fact is that thousands of homes with families in them and that have Defective Blocks will have to continue to pay local property tax - that's the reality.

"And let's be clear, a local property tax exemption isn't going to change their world for them, they've got bigger issues that the government are failing them on dramatically. The issue here is that there will be people living with Defective Concrete Blocks and they will still, under this legislation, have to pay local property tax. I think that is wrong."