Sinn Féin’s attempt to exempt thousands of Defective Block Homeowners from having to pay local property tax was voted down by the government.
The amendment, tabled by Pearse Doherty TD yesterday, was voted down 64-82.
It sought to add a local property tax exemption to the Finance (Local Property Tax and Other Provisions) (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill is set to allow local authorities to vary the LPT upward by up to 25% from the year 2026 onwards. Currently, local authorities can only vary the tax by 15%.
Deputy Doherty said it is wrong to force people living with Defective Concrete Blocks to pay local property tax.
Speaking after the vote, he said: “Our amendment called on the Minister to, 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.
“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.”
