The attached report by the Chief Executive which had been circulated was CONSIDERED. 

Mr Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance, gave a presentation to the Members.

The Mayor informed the members four motions were received:

Motion One

The following motion was submitted and proposed by the Mayor Councillor T. O’Leary and seconded by Councillor E. O’Brien:

MOTION TO VARY THE BASIC RATE OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAX IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREA OF FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

“That the County Council determines in pursuance of the provisions of Section 20 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended), that the basic rate of Local Property Tax stand varied downwards by 5.0 per cent for the period 1^st November 2025 to 31^st October 2026 in respect of relevant residential properties situated in the administrative area of Fingal County Council.”

Motion Two

The following motion was submitted and proposed by Councillor P. Mulville and seconded by Councillor J. Walsh:

“That the County Council resolves that there be no variation to the Local Property Tax rate for the year 2026.”

Motion Three

The following motion was submitted and proposed by Councillor J. Smyth and seconded by Councillor M. Quinn:

“The Local Property Tax, a tax on the family home, has been in place for 12 years now. During that time, it has added to the already huge strain on household budgets with a cost of living crisis spiralling out of control.

The burden of poor planning and ineffective cost curtailment measures has fallen heavily on workers and their families with many

households having had to make significant sacrifices just to get by.

The Council has few opportunities apart from this to reduce the burden for households here in Fingal.  Sinn Fein supports using this rare opportunity to do exactly that.

Sinn Féin is proposing that the full variation of minus 15% is applied in relation to the local property tax.”

Motion Four

The following motion was submitted and proposed by Councillor A. Tormey and seconded by Councillor L. Corkery:

“To reduce LPT by -4%.”

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

It was AGREED to take a 3 minute recess.

Following discussions, the Mayor then instructed that a roll call vote be taken on the motion Local Property Tax stand varied downwards by 5.0 per cent and on a division the voting resulted as follows:

FOR:               17       SEVENTEEN

AGAINST:     16       SIXTEEN

ABSTAIN:      0          ZERO

FOR: Councillors Cathal Boland, Darragh Butler, Eimear Carbone-Mangan, Luke Corkery, Kieran Dennison, Eoghan Dockrell, Jimmy Guerin, Cathal Haughey, Darren Jack Kelly, Tom Kitt, Joe Newman, Eoghan O'Brien, Tom O'Leary, JK Onwumereh, Siobhan Shovlin, Aoibhinn Tormey, Ellen Troy.                       

AGAINST: Councillors Mark Boland, John Burtchaell, Angela Donnelly, Breda Hanaphy, David Healy, Joan Hopkins, James Humphreys, Corina Johnston, Mary McCamley, Dean Mulligan, Paul Mulville, Patrick Quinlan, Malachy Quinn, Helen Redwood, John Smyth, John Walsh.                   

The Mayor then declared the motion PASSED.                      

The Mayor read the resolution into the record.

“That the County Council determines in pursuance of the provisions of Section 20 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended), that the basic rate of Local Property Tax stand varied downwards by 5.0 per cent for the period 1^st November 2025 to 31^st October 2026 in respect of relevant residential properties situated in the administrative area of Fingal County Council.”

The Mayor then declared the resolution RESOLVED.