Wicklow Sinn Féin steps up campaign against Propery Tax as the Repeal Bill date set

Wicklow Sinn Féin is set to ratchet up their campaign of opposition against the unfair and unjust Property Tax. The date of 11th June has been set for the beginning of the debate in Leinster House of the Repeal Bill that the party has introduced to axe the tax.

Speaking after the date was set, Wicklow Sinn Féin councillor John Brady said "On 26th Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty launched a bill to repeal the Family Home Tax in the Dáil and committed Sinn Féin to repeal the tax if in government after the next general election. The Local Property Tax Repeal Bill 2013 will be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday 11th June and voted upon on Wednesday 12th June during Sinn Féin's Private Members time. This bill is a key part of Sinn Fein’s alternative to austerity for lower and middle income families. These families have borne the brunt of austerity budget after austerity budget under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael/Labour."

Brady continued "Over the last number of months we have held a series of public meetings on the issue across Wicklow and we have collected thousands of signatures on a petition demanding the abolition of the Family Home Tax and supporting the Sinn Féin Repeal Bill. In the run up to June 11th we will step up our campaign again and we will be out on the streets throughout the county collecting signatures and asking people to contact their TDs and asking them to support the Sinn Féin Bill when its voted upon on June 12th. We have already had motions demanding the abolition of the tax passed by numerous councils across the state and we are now asking Wicklow’s 5 TDs to stand with the people on this issue. Many hundreds of thousands of people have refused or been unable to pay the unfair tax and the vast majority of people who did pay done so under duress and out of fear."

The Sinn Féin councillor concluded "Sinn Féin has consistently argued for the introduction of a wealth tax. We believe that a 1% tax on net assets in excess of €1 million has the potential to yield up to €800 million. This is a real alternative to the unjust tax and we have committed that if we are in government after the next election we will repeal this tax. Our bill would refund the tax paid by citizens for the year in which it is scrapped. We are asking everyone that’s opposed to the tax to put huge amounts of pressure on their local councillors and their TDs to support the Repeal Bill as the ordinary people simply can’t afford to continue to pay the gambling debts of international speculators. The bottom line is local communities will not see any increased benefits from their local Council for the payment of this tax. That line simply doesn’t wash with people; the only thing we will see is the continued downward spiral for people who are genuinely struggling."