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than they were last year even before the recent hike spikes. The Government's decisions to remove energy credits, increase student fees, local property tax and rent, and do nothing about the soaring costs of insurance, groceries and other essentials have meant that households today simply

household costs for that individual are very similar. Many household costs are unrelated to the number of people living there, for example, local property tax, house insurance and rent or mortgage payments. Indeed, many utility bills have flat rates, so they are not really dependent on usage

Rents have gone up 40% in the past six years. Motor insurance premiums are up 17%. Toll charges are up. Local property tax is up. Student fees are up, and childcare fees still continue to be a second mortgage for those who have to pay them. I could

that, astonishingly, left working people worse off. It hiked up the price of petrol, diesel, home heating oil, road tolls and the local property tax. The Government allows big energy companies and large supermarket chains to price-gouge and fleece people. It does nothing to stop it. Worse

precious to people. It is like it cannot stop itself from making life harder for people. It hiked up student fees, the local property tax and the cost of petrol and diesel. It stands back and allows big energy companies to jack up electricity and gas bills

local property tax, LPT, increase kicked in last month. The Government has ensured that virtually every household in the State has experienced a property tax increase. Thousands faced a substantial increase as they were pushed into higher valuation bands. Now that the households that are struggling with

households in Galway would actually increase a band. There will be major differentiation across regions. Everybody is paying higher local property tax under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Every single person is paying more. Everybody's property tax increased as a result of this but some had their

have decided to withdraw the energy credits. You have decided to jack up local property tax. You have decided to put up petrol and diesel. You have decided to put up student fees. People are so annoyed

Services can be seen. I have seen the correlation between proper application and ringfencing of local property tax revenue to services

made on a balanced focus for the funding. I know a bugbear of public representatives in Kildare is the proportion of local property tax the county gets. I understand there have been improvements in this. I am proud that Maynooth one of the first towns in Ireland

poor, but what did it do? In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, rents will go up from March, the local property tax has just gone up, and electricity prices are going up at the same time as groceries and other items are going

Gais electricity prices go up; on 13 October, Pinergy electricity goes upon 20 October, SSE Airtricity goes up; and on 1 November, local property tax charges go up. There you have it, Minister. Those are some of the body blows households will take literally days after the budget

dark, cold months of winter in circumstances where families, households and workers are going to be hit with increases in the local property tax, fuel costs for transport, student fees, insurance, rent and food. The list goes on. In the past week, four energy companies announced that they

They are being hit by rip-off prices at every turn. It is rent, food, insurance, petrol and diesel, student fees and local property tax. The cost of everything is sky high. There is no end to it. People cannot catch a breath at the moment

fill. Petrol and diesel prices went up in May and the Government will go for those again in October. Local property tax has risen. Rents have gone up. Students' fees, as we know, are also due to go up. The Government has shown no regard or sensitivity

extortionate rents, to hike up the price of petrol, diesel and home heating oil and to hike up the price of the local property tax. Nobody else did this. These were all Government decisions. As if families were not hurting enough and as if they were not being

Seanad has passed the Finance (Local Property Tax and Other Provisions) (Amendment) Bill 2025, without amendment

things the Tánaiste did not mention. For example, it passed legislation last night meaning every person in this State will pay more local property tax. Earlier this year, it put up the price of petrol and diesel. Also earlier this year, it put up the price

move to Committee and Remaining Stages of the Finance (Local Property Tax and Other Provisions) (Amendment) Bill

recommended that we should not do what the Deputy is proposing. It said that "in the case of multiple property owners, a Local Property Tax surcharge should apply to properties not occupied as the principal private residence of the property owner or a registered tenant". The commission

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the percentage number of households that opted to defer payment of the local property tax in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will consider reducing further the interest rate penalty on the amount accrued-deferred. [16042/25

Minister to outline the percentage of households that opted to defer payment of the local property tax in the years 2023, 2034 and 2025 and if he will consider a further reduction in the penalty on the amount that has been deferred

Property owners who are experiencing financial difficulty may avail of a wide range of flexible payment options in respect of current local property tax, LPT, liabilities and for any previous years. To answer the Deputy's question on those accessing it, the number is quite

Minister of State's discussions with the county council? Like I said, Galway County Council is a particular case and raising the local property tax will not address the significant funding challenges that we have. On a bigger scale, we know that money is available. Investing

many other localities. However, they do not have staff available in their public offices to explain this tax to the people to whom I refer. They should be made to man those offices, provide a public service and explain to people what this tax is all about, particularly … then ensure, as it applies a reasonable property tax, that local authorities come up with a clear proposal to show how this money is being spent. The Government is putting the onus on local authority members to raise property tax because, no doubt, there will be plenty

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties in County Tipperary in respect of which the vacant homes tax has been applied; the number of properties in Tipperary currently recorded as vacant or derelict by Tipperary County Council

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if the Derelict Property Tax announced as part of Budget 2027 will involve any ring-fencing of the revenue raised for direct use by local authorities; and, if not, the rationale for this decision. [75357/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the income accrued by social housing tenants renting a room in their property and availing of the rent a room tax relief is also disregarded for the purposes of calculating the social housing tenants

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected number of homes expected to return to use as a result of the vacant homes tax; the number of properties currently subject to the tax; and how these projections informed Government housing targets

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider a waiver on commercial rates, or a portion of commercial rates or taxes, for the owners of commercial properties with defective concrete blocks who have no government scheme available to them

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce interim measures or conditional approvals to allow micro-company owners to qualify for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant without incurring significant tax liabilities, solely to qualify for the grant ahead

Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he is taking to ensure a radical overhaul in the approach to vacant and derelict properties; if he will support a significant increase in the vacant homes tax to serve as an effective deterrent. [22417/25

Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the definition of a derelict property that guide councils in adding sites to the derelict sites register; if the criteria will change ahead of the introduction of the new derelict property tax; and if he will make

Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the fact more than 88,000 homes are currently vacant, in view of data showing that over 2,000 homes were liable for the vacant property tax; and if he will make a statement

asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if provision exists within the vacant property refurbishment grant scheme for discretion or exceptional arrangements where a homeowner has complied with all scheme requirements, including verifying and submitting a contractor's valid tax clearance certificate prior to the commencement

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that has been recouped for the State through the derelict site levy since its introduction to date; whether this levy will remain in place until it is replaced by the newly announced derelict property tax; and if he will

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will account for the 8,933 homes across 56 sites in Fingal that remained inactive in 2025 despite having … full planning permission; if his Department has audited the total number of such "dormant" permissions nationwide; his plans to ensure the new derelict property tax, set for 2026 legislation, will explicitly target these inactive sites to prevent developers from sitting on land during a record homelessness crisis

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme the number and percentage of recipients who were Irish citizens; the number and percentage of recipients who were citizens of another EU Member State; the number and percentage of recipients who were non-EU citizens; whether the Department or local authorities collect data … legal residence in the State of grant recipients at the time of application; whether the Department collects or verifies information on prior income tax or PRSI contributions in the State as part of the eligibility or compliance process; whether tax clearance certification is required prior to approval