Residents win battle to escape Local Property Tax

Around 100 householders on the east side of the city have won the battle to have their estate exempted from the Local Property Tax.

It has been confirmed this week that Phase One of the Fionnuisce estate in Doughiska is to be exempt from the property tax – the move has been welcomed by Labour Party City Councillor Nuala Nolan, who had campaigned on behalf of residents.

The reprieve, granted by central Government and confirmed by Galway City Council, will also be welcomed by residents of the estate.

There was outrage earlier this year when it emerged that Phase One of the estate was to be included in the property tax.

It was included despite the fact that residents were deemed to be exempt from the precursor to the tax, the Household Charge, because it had been deemed an ‘unfinished’ estate.

Phase Two of the estate was also deemed to be exempt, which further enraged the residents of Phase One.

It was argued that Phase One should also have been exempt because that part of the estate was still unfinished and had problems such as a lack of street lighting and outstanding issues in relation to street surfaces on the roads within the estate.

For more on this story, see this week’s Connacht Sentinel