Louth County Councillors vote to reduce Property Tax rate by 1.5%

Louth County Councillors have voted to reduce the Local Property Tax by 1.5% this year.

This will mean households will pay the same property tax bill in 2016 as they did last year when a similar cut was implemented.

The decision to put forward the same cut as 12 months ago came after a Sinn Féin proposal to reduce the tax by the full 15% allowed was defeated.

The debate on the issue followed roughly the same lines as last year when a similar proposal from Sinn Féin was also rejected before a 1.5% cut was eventually passed by the casting vote of chairman Cllr Oliver Tully. This time Fine Gael put forward a motion to leave the Property Tax payment as is.

Chief Executive Joan Martin once again pointed out to councillors that a cut of 15% in the property tax would result in a €1.3 million hit in the council’s budget that would have to be made up elsewhere.

Sinn Féin representatives said they were disappointed with the outcome with Fine Gael’s Cllr John McGahon reiterating his comments from 12 months ago when he accused the party of being irresponsible, accusing them of trying to send the council over a “financial cliff”.

Sinn Féin to propose 15% cut in Local Property Tax at this morning’s council meeting

Some of the Sinn Féin councillors who will be voting to cut the property tax rate this morning

Sinn Féin will put forward a motion at this morning’s meeting of Louth County Council to reduce the Local Property Tax rate by 15%.

The party, who have 10 representatives on the council, put forward a similar motion last year. While they received support from three Fianna Fáil councillors at that time, council officials warned that they would have to make up a €1.4m shortfall if the cut was applied.

This led to the vote being defeated, with subsequent proposals from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael representatives for cuts of 7.5% and 2% also rejected.

Instead a vote was later passed in September 2014 to reduce the property tax rate by 1.5%, with chairman Cllr Oliver Tully using his casting vote to pass the proposal after the vote had been tied at 13 for and 13 against.

At the time Fine Gael’s Cllr John McGahon accused Sinn Féin of making a “reckless political move” by trying to cut the property tax rate by the maximum 15% allowed, adding that it would have pushed the council “off a financial cliff.”

Commenting yesterday, Sinn Féin’s Cllr Imelda Munster said: “The Sinn Féin team will be proposing a 15% cut in the Local Property Tax.

“As you are probably aware last year the government handed over the Local Property Tax collected to Irish Water despite saying it was for improving local services. Local services have been cut to the bone!

“We already pay Road Tax, Bin Charges, Toll Charges, A&E Charges, Emergency Call Out Charges, Universal Social Charges, PAYE, PRSI, Local Property Tax, and they are trying to force us to pay Water Charges. It’s high time people got some relief. Where is this so called recovery for the ordinary person??

“I hope the other councillors support us,” she said.

Sinn Féin to host public meeting in Dundalk tonight

Sinn Féin will hold a public meeting at 7.30pm tonight in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk.

The meeting will be addressed by the party’s candidates in the forthcoming election, Deputy Gerry Adams TD and Cllr Imelda Munster.

All are welcome to attend the meeting, which will focus on Sinn Féin’s belief that a fair recovery is possible for Ireland.

Sinn Féin to run two candidates in this constituency for next General Election

Imelda Munster will be Gerry Adams’ running mate for the next General Election – the first time Sinn Féin have put two candidates forward for election in this constituency

Sinn Féin will officially be aiming for two seats in this constituency in the next General Election.

As anticipated, the party have put two candidates forward for the first time in the Louth East Meath constituency with Drogheda-based Louth County Councillor Imelda Munster chosen as the running mate for party president and sitting TD Gerry Adams at last night’s convention in the Westcourt Hotel in Drogheda.

In a statement, a party spokesperson said: “The local government election and European results of last year show a Sinn Féin party building in political strength across the island. The constituency of Louth and East Meath has seen a particular rise in the Sinn Féin vote and following discussion within the party it was agreed that there should be two candidates going forward.

“The next general election will see a clear choice between the austerity and conservative politics of Fine Gael and Labour, or a socially progressive Sinn Féin-led government.

“Sinn Féin plans to grow our economy out of recession; create real jobs with proper terms and conditions; a decent health service accessible to all; deliver first class public services, including for those living in rural Ireland; work to bring back our immigrant children, and build a United Ireland of equals.”

Sinn Féin are the first of the party to declare their candidates for the next General Election in this constituency. Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Kirk has already declared, however, that he will be retiring at the next election – which will take place within the next 12 months.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin expected to select General Election candidates in the coming weeks

Cllr Declan Breathnach is expected to be in the shake up when Fianna Fáil decide a General Election candidate for Louth

With speculation increasing that there may be a General Election early in the New Year, both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are expected to start selecting their election candidates in the coming weeks.

Fianna Fáil are expected to hold a number of selection conventions as soon as next week with the south west and Dublin starting off the process.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has maintained that the government will go to full term and the election will not take place until spring 2016, but opposition parties believe an autumn 2015 vote is now likely with Fianna Fáil anxious to have all their candidates in place by May at the latest.

Sinn Féin are also expected to work to a similar timetable.

In terms of this year, Gerry Adams is expected to run again for Sinn Féin and is likely to be joined by a running mate in the south of the county with Cllr Imelda Munster the likely frontrunner. This will be a historic moment for the party as it will be the first time they have ran with two General Election candidates in Co Louth.

With Seamus Kirk retiring from politics at the next election, there is a potential Fianna Fáil seat up for grabs. Cllr Declan Breathnach, who ran unsuccessfully in the February 2011 election, is expected to be in the running once again with at least one more candidate expected to compete in the south of the county.

Councillors to vote on potential property tax cut

The offices of Louth County Council

Louth County Council will this morning vote on whether or not to cut the rate of property tax by 15%.

The motion from Sinn Féin’s Imelda Munster, which will be dealt with at this morning’s monthly meeting, could see the Local Property Tax rate reduced by the maximum amount allowed.

Councillors were warned at the July meeting that a funding gap of €1.4m would arise were the cut to be made, which would have an impact on local services. However, Cllr Munster told LMFM radio that she is confident that the extra funding needed would be found.

Adams insists local elderly citizens are being treated disgracefully

Gerry Adams

Louth TD Gerry Adams has insisted that local elderly citizens are being treated disgracefully following the latest cutbacks in the Louth-Meath Hospital Group.

The Sinn Féin president recently met with Margaret Swords, Group General Manager, of the Louth Meath Hospital Group and Angela McNamee, Director of Nursing, to discuss the impact of the National Service Plan on hospital provision for the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk, Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda and Our Lady’s in Navan.

Deputy Adams was accompanied by Cllr Imelda Munster, Cllr Tomás Sharkey and East Meath representative Eimear Ferguson and Drogheda representative Kenneth Flood.

The Louth TD said: “This was an informative and very useful meeting. Ms Swords acknowledged that the Louth-Meath group would see cuts to its’ funding as a result of the National Service Plan but said that these could be absorbed within the group’s current strategy.

“The Group General Manager said that there would be no cuts to services and outlined additional services that would be provided in the year ahead, including an ophthalmology service providing cataract operations in Louth County Hospital and an ongoing new build programme in Our Lady of Lourdes that will see new operating theatres and a new emergency department.

“However Ms Swords acknowledged that that there are difficulties in moving patients through the emergency department as quickly as she would like into beds. Ms Swords revealed that of the 209 beds in the hospital 107 are occupied by patients over 75 years of age and 160 of the patients are over 65. Some of these patients have been treated but because they cannot go home without a home care package or there are no residential places, they are taking up beds which should be used for patients.

“The failure of the government to provide appropriate residential accommodation or home care packages have put Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital under unacceptable pressure.”

Commenting on the situation Councillor Imelda Munster said: “It is clear from our conversation with the Group General Manager that the failure by the government to provide residential care for elderly citizens and the removal of long stay and respite beds from the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda in 2012 is adding to the burden on health service provision for the elderly. At the time the public was told that 16 transitional care beds would be provided in the Cottage Hospital along with increased funding for Home Adaption and Mobility Grants for the elderly to assist those who want to remain living independently in their homes.

“Since then funding for the Home Adaption and Mobility Grants has been slashed from €80 million to €38m.

At the time there was a commitment to provide a new 100 bed unit in St Mary’s Hospital on the Dublin Road before the HIQA standards come in to force in January 2015. There was been no application for funding in 2012 or 2013. An application for funding was made in recent months but there is no guarantee that the funding will be given”.

Tom Cunningham added to Sinn Féin ticket in Ardee for local elections

Cllr Pearse McGeough with his new Sinn Féin running mate Tom Cunningham

Sinn Féin have announced a second candidate to run in the Ardee electoral area in May’s local elections.

Tom Cunningham from Clogherhead was put forward as a running mate for long-standing councillor Pearse McGeough at a selection convention in Dunleer on Tuesday.

Tom was a member of RNLI for about 20 years and is now involved in coaching young people in football for the Dreadnots GFC, having been a former player himself. His uncle and grandfather, both called Pat Carr, were past mayors of Drogheda so there is an established political tradition in Tom’s family.

On an annual basis, Tom Cunningham, along with Drogheda Councillor Imelda Munster, organises the beach clean-up at The Little Strand Beach with the Clogherhead Scouts and Beavers. Tom has a deep concern for the environment.

On accepting the nomination to go forward Tom said: “I want to thank everyone who has come out tonight for this selection. I have been an activist now for more years than I care to admit to and look forward to adding my voice to that of Pearse McGeough on the new Louth County Council.”