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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Mayo councillors vote to keep the current base rate for local property tax despite calls for a reduction
The decision came despite a recommendation from the council's Director of Finance to increase the base rate to 15pc which would generate an extra €1.52m in LPT income for the council and would go towards services such hedge cutting, verge trimming and capital projects around the county.. LPT in Mayo is estimated to bring in €10.13m in 2026. The Exchequer will then allocate €11.88m as part of the Equalisation fund. This gives Mayo County Council a baseline fund of €22.01m for the year. Fianna Fáil councillor, Damien Ryan, rejected the recommendation and proposed that the base rate remains at 10pc. 'You recommend 15pc but you don't have to go out and sell it the way we have to sell it. I suppose at the end of the day we want to be wise and prudent about how we do things here. We're in extremely uncertain times, the 30pc tariffs coming across the Atlantic are going to have a huge impact on Ireland.' Keeping the base rate at 10pc would raise €1.01m in LPT income. Of this, €200,000 would be ring-fenced for verge trimming, and €400,000 would go towards the match funding contribution for Clár, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) and other similar schemes. Cllr Ryan proposed a provision be made for €100,000 to go toward addressing the backlogs in processing applications for housing grants such as Croi Conaithe. Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn seconded this proposal. Independent councillor, John O'Malley, rejected any raise in the base rate. He spoke of families facing food and fuel poverty and families in rural areas in the county, 'There are families out there who are finding it hard, especially in rural areas,' he said. 'We pay a property tax in the rural area but we don't get street lights, footpaths, water, or sewerage. We don't get any of that paid for.' 'I can't support any increase in LPT, it's not fair to go asking rural people to pay more.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Cllr O'Malley proposed reducing the base rate to 0pc. His motion was seconded by Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, who reminded the council that they also had the power to decrease the rate by 15pc. He reiterated that people in rural areas are being treated unfairly and said: 'you're asking people to pay 25pc more than they should have to.' Councillors Harry Barrett, Patsy O'Brien, Chris Maxwell and Deirdre Lawless all seconded the proposal made by Cllr O'Malley and spoke out for families in rural Ireland. 'I want to see people having a little bit of money left over at the end of the month, not having extra charges tacked on here, there and everywhere,' Cllr Barrett said. 'They say 'every little helps' but it doesn't help in this scenario, every little is actually sending people under.' In response, Cllr Ryan stressed he was not proposing an increase but only arguing that the base rate be maintained. 'This decision is to hold it at the same rate it has been since 2020. We're holding it at the same rate to try and get economic development in each of our regions,' he said. 'For us to become effective going forward, the only way you can function is with sound economics and you have to underpin that with finance.' Cllr Ryan warned that reducing the base rate to 0pc would result in a loss of €2.5 million for the council, while maintaining the current rate would keep it functioning financially. Cllr Ryan recognised that change is needed in relation to local authority funding, he argued that the Department of Finance should restore Block Grants as the current Equalisation Fund only contributes to the urban and rural divide since urban councils have larger base rates. The vote to hold the base rate of LPT at 10pc was passed 17 votes to eight. All 17 who voted in favour are representatives for either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Motorists warned of two months of disruption as works begin on A77 at Carlock Hill
Disruption is expected on the A77 at Carlock Hill until at least the end of July as long-awaited road works get underway. Motorists in Ayrshire are being warned to expect disruption on the A77 as long-awaited works at Carlock Hill begin on Monday (May 12). For the next two and a half months, two-way traffic lights will be in place to allow for a range of "essential improvement works" to be undertaken. The road will be closed overnight on Sunday, May 18 - timed to coincide with a similar closure at Ballantrae Bridge - as a temporary vehicle restraint system is put in place for the duration of the works. During the closure, southbound traffic will be diverted onto the A714 at Shallochpark Roundabout before following the A75 and A751 to re-join the A77. Northbound traffic will follow the same diversion in the opposite direction. Vegetation clearance, the installation of rock netting, reinstatement of the permanent vehicle restraint system and drainage installation are all set to take place before the works conclude on Thursday, July 31. A spokesperson for Amey, the trunk road operator, said: "Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, will commence essential improvement works on the A77 at Carlock Hill from Monday 12th May until Thursday 31st July 2025. "These works will be delivered on a continuous basis under an existing 24-hour, two-way temporary traffic light system. "The scheme will include vegetation clearance, rock netting, reinstatement of the vehicle restraint system (VRS), and drainage installation, all designed to enhance long-term safety and resilience along this stretch of the trunk road. "To facilitate the safe installation of the temporary vehicle restraint system (TVRS) at the Carlock Hill site, a full overnight closure of the A77 will be required on Sunday 18th May, between 8pm and 6am. "A further overnight closure will be implemented towards the end of July, also from 8pm to 6am, to remove the temporary barrier. This date will be communicated towards the end of the works as a scheme update. "These overnight closures have been co-ordinated to coincide with the closure required for works at A77 Ballantrae Bridge, minimising disruption and avoiding multiple closures for road users in the area. Both sites will be closed overnight on 18th May as part of this coordinated approach. "Should any additional overnight closures be necessary during the programme, these will be scheduled to align with the Ballantrae Bridge refurbishment to minimise cumulative impact. "While overnight closures are in place, southbound traffic will be diverted from the A77 at Shallochpark Roundabout onto the A714 southbound to Newton Stewart, where it will join the A75 westbound, then take the A751 northbound to re-join the A77. "Northbound traffic will follow the same route in reverse. "Access for emergency service vehicles will be maintained throughout the works. "Please note, all schemes are weather dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled if weather conditions are not favourable. "This scheme will benefit vehicles using this route each day, by improving the condition of the road network and reducing the need for more extensive maintenance in the future." The last update for the notorious stretch of the A77 was in December as Amey sought a "specialist subcontractor" for the works.
