Does Leo Varadkar not understand the basis of the country’s general taxation system? Of how progressive taxation and fiscal redistribution works? That is the question which springs to mind when one reads this dismaying report from The Examiner:
Millions of euro in local property tax income from wealthy areas will no longer be used to bail out poorer communities under new Government plans.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the existing system is not working…
Mr Varadkar said that, under current rules, all property tax is pooled nationally and used to pay for services in local authorities across the country.
However, under new plans that are set to spark anger in worse-off areas, the Taoiseach said he wants to ring-fence resources for the areas they come from, meaning wealthy locations will keep their money while poorer communities will see a drop-off in funds.
If, as claimed, the Fine Gael leader resents the “Tory boy” sobriquet given to him by his critics, this iniquitous proposal on an already poorly legislated tax goes a long way towards proving its validity. Tax segregation, ring-fencing levies raised in rich communities for the benefit of rich communities, which is what this will amount to, is utterly repugnant.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
Now that is a surprise from a Right-wing party that gets most of its support from wealthier areas
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s just marvellous when imbalanced regional development ks a major contributor to the housing crisis.
LikeLike
It’s incredible how similar to and different from each other various Western countries can be when it comes to these sort of property tax fights.
It’s interesting that Ireland it’s about counties keeping their own money versus national consolidation of the funds. Also the Irish Republic’s schools mostly aren’t funded by property taxes if I’m not mistaken.
LikeLike
Delighted to confirm that @wesleycollege has been granted €150,000 as part of Sports Capital Programme. The funding will ensure the resurfacing of the hockey pitch and will benefit the school as well as @YMCAHC114
6:15 PM – Mar 9, 2018….Shane Ross
For an Irish student looking to attend Dublin’s Wesley College, fees will range between €6,250 and €8,750 a year. That is how it is funded , the old boy network
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was my understanding that the “National Schools” in Ireland are the ones that are funded directly by the Republic’s national budget. Is that incorrect? Are these National Schools not open to children regardless of religion and ability to pay?
Is it not also the case that property taxes in Ireland are dedicated to a wide variety of local items, and don’t really have just one primary purpose?
LikeLike
This is the path that the UK has trodden in its extreme form of London gets everything it wants to the detriment of everyone else.
The main Brexit voting regions were those most badly served by the Westminster government.
Take a look at the spending on transport in London and the spending in somewhere like the north-east of England and you will see what I mean.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Then why didn’t The Brexiteers fight for Federalization or a change in funding rather than this? If anything leaving the EU might up London’s power over the rest of England.
LikeLike
Because the chief Brexiteers in London are in it for quite different reasons from the folk who voted for Brexit in the deprived areas..
The elite Brexiteers don’t want to share the wealth, they want to amass it all for their own kind in a minimal government poor public services tax haven with London totally central and dominant. The mugs in the deprived areas are being used and are going to be worse off.
LikeLike
So you are suggesting that they want to turn London into another Hong Kong? With the rest of England as just what? Sort of another Appalachia tagged to it geographically?
LikeLike
That’s almost it entirely Grace. Some of them have argued for the Singapore model. Not sure how that would work on an island of many millions as against a much smaller city state.
LikeLike
Singaporean model? That’s off the charts insane!!
If they have to do that Brexit thing a Norweigan model or maybe a Turkish model might work. Turkey has some partial control over Northern Cyprus, and Cyprus is a full member of the EU. Surely some modified version of that set-up could accommodate The Good Friday Agreement.
I suppose if the British people really hated the EU that much, Turkey’s model could be a sweet spot between benefits and costs of associating with the EU, but not having a place in the EU Parliament.
LikeLike
Political Parties like FG have worked out who they need to focus on for votes and which areas, they do not bother with as there is no return in election terms
LikeLike
Hard on the heels of his comments about evictions being legally justified Mr Varadakar now opines that redistribution of wealth should be abandoned in relation to property tax.
Far be it for me to comment but the extent of this man’s right wing utterances would not put him out of place with right wing Tories in Westminster.
Patrick Sellars ( Scot ) Charles Treveylan (Irl) ?
LikeLike
His comments of apparent approval this morning that selling off distressed loans to Vulture Funds was interesting and his Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and his junior minister Michael D’Arcy have both stated that they can not interfere in the commercial aspect of the banks they own. However, no problem with bankrupting the country to the tune of €225 Billion to bail them out , that was gross commercial interference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ASF does the word sodemite offend your senceabilities or is it something else I said?. Maybe theis political correctness has gone far enough. Maybe varadkar can condone citizens of this country being thrown onto the roadside and kicked senseless but in case you haven’t noticed there are a lot of other citizens who don’t. Let the truth be told of the filth that are ruling this part of the country.. Robbing the poor to help the rich.
LikeLike
A needless and derogatory reference to someone’s sexuality certainly does offend me. My criticisms are based upon politics, ideology or policy not sexual orientation or gender. The latter have no place in discourse if they are simply used to insult and belittle, or to spread prejudice. ASF is not thejournal.ie nor do I wish it to become so.
LikeLike
What’s the surprise? The right wing government is right wing. In fact it’s nice to see the real world politics of right versus left become more clearly defined in Ireland.
LikeLike